“Why do we come here, Nicole?” Sandra Bullock asked a screaming crowd at CinemaCon on Tuesday, staring at Nicole Kidman.
“We come to this place for magic,” Kidman smiled, as the audience of movie theater owners went wild for the star’s signature line from her AMC Theatres commercial. But this wasn’t a pre-show clip, it was a moment for Warner Bros. Pictures to highlight this year’s long-awaited “Practical Magic 2” at the annual Las Vegas convention.
On stage, Bullock called the first movie “a story that people have so politely refused to let go.” It follows two sisters in a dynasty of witches who confront a family curse while carving out their own identities. Though not a bona fide blockbuster when it was first released, “Practical Magic” became a home entertainment treasure and counts multiple generations of devotees. They surely won’t be disappointed this fall, based on a teaser trailer Bullock and Kidman teed up.
Returning with Kidman and Bullock are the iconic Owens aunts: Frances, played by Stockard Channing, and Jet, played by Diane Wiest. New members of the sequel ensemble include Lee Pace (“Bodies Bodies Bodies”), Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”), Xolo Maridueña (“Blue Beetle”), Solly McLeod (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”) and Joey King (“The Act”).
“We’re like sisters. I have so much protection and love for her,” Kidman said of Bullock for a Variety cover story in March. “We also have incredible chemistry. We produce differently. She’s incredibly hands-on, and I love delegating. We have different skill sets that become complementary. It’s amazing that we still know each other.”
Susanne Bier (“Bird Box”) is directing from a screenplay co-written by Akiva Goldsman, who also co-wrote the original, and Georgia Pritchett (“Succession”).
From Variety US
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