After six weeks at the top of the box office, Spider-Man: Brand New Day finally had to step aside. Practical Magic 2, starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, opened to $30 million in the United States and knocked the web-slinger down to second place. The move was a coven’s triumph — but the numbers behind it suggest the spell didn’t hold.
Opening Weekend Numbers
Practical Magic 2 grossed $30 million in the United States. That figure is roughly comparable to the opening of the original 1998 film, which was long considered a flop before becoming reclaimed as a cult favorite. Variety made the comparison, noting that the new version’s debut is tracking similarly to a movie that once struggled to find an audience.
Foreign Earnings and the Budget Gap
Including its foreign earnings, Practical Magic 2 grossed about $46 million. That figure is still a dent in the $75 million pre-marketing budget for the film. The picture is not looking good.
The 1998 Precedent
The 1998 film was a failure at release. It was long considered a flop. Over time, it became a cult favorite. Fans found it again, and the reputation changed. Now the new version has opened with a similar number, and the question is whether history repeats itself.
What the Numbers Show
Here is the situation laid out:
- Practical Magic 2 opened to $30 million in the United States
- The figure matches the 1998 film’s debut
- Total gross, including foreign earnings, is about $46 million
- The $75 million pre-marketing budget dwarfs the actual take
None of those figures look good for the studio. A film this expensive needs a much bigger return to break even.
The Cult Path Is Not Guaranteed
The 1998 film’s fate was not inevitable. It was dismissed at release, then rediscovered. Practical Magic 2 has opened with a similar number, but there is no guarantee the same arc will repeat.
Cult status is not something a film earns by accident. That takes time, and the industry does not measure success in decades.
Knocking Spider-Man Down
The irony is that a coven’s triumph finally unseated Spider-Man, only to see its own film perform poorly. The headline reads as a victory, but the $30 million opening suggests the film will never match its predecessor’s cult status.
The Road Ahead
Practical Magic 2 has opened. It knocked Spider-Man down. But the road ahead is long, and the budget is heavy. A cult following does not arrive overnight, and a film this expensive needs a much bigger return to break even.
Fans will have to wait and see whether the magic holds.
See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.