It’s a magical moment for Xolo Maridueña.
The 24-year-old Mexican, Cuban and Ecuadorian American actor, who starred in Cobra Kai and Blue Beetle, has been cast in Practical Magic 2, Warner Bros. Pictures’ sequel to the 1998 romantic fantasy starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.
Maridueña is among a list of new cast additions that includes Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, who reprise their roles as Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny, the eccentric and wise matriarchs who took in witch sisters Sally (Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Kidman) following the death of their parents and taught them everything they know about magic, mischief and self-reliance.
Production on the sequel is now underway, with Bullock and Kidman returning. Joey King has now locked down the role of Sally’s daughter, after being tipped as being in talks.
Rounding out the cast is Lee Pace, Maisie Williams and Solly McLeod.
Character details for the newcomers are under wraps, as is the plot of the sequel, to be released in theaters worldwide on September 18, 2026.
First announced last summer, the new Practical Magic film is being directed by Susanne Bier.
Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the original film, has returned to write the script with Georgia Pritchett. Bullock and Kidman are producing alongside the original film’s Denise Di Novi.
In a statement on today’s castings, the Practical Magic filmmaking team said,
“Twenty-five years ago, Sally, Gillian, Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny flew off the pages of Alice Hoffman’s beloved novel and into theaters around the world, and we are thrilled to bring the Owens family back to the big screen with Joey, Lee, Maisie, Solly and Xolo joining the next chapter in our story. The enduring affection for these characters has been our inspiration to deliver the next installment in the Owens’ story to new fans, and those who’ve been with us since the beginning.”
Directed by Griffin Dunne, Practical Magic adapted the 1995 novel from Alice Hoffman. The story introduces Sally and Gillian Owens as sisters who come from a long line of witches. Raised by their eccentric aunts in a magical household, they must confront a deadly curse and their own powers when love and danger collide. The original film grossed over $68M worldwide.
