Practical Magic 2 opened at No. 1 this September, finally knocking a long-running Spider-Man release off the top — the same box office Resident Evil recently dominated of the domestic box office. The catch: the number behind that headline is softer than the “No. 1 debut” framing suggests.
The actual figure: $30 million domestically, with $46 million globally. That’s enough for first place in a fairly quiet weekend, but several outlets covering the number framed it as a disappointment relative to expectations for a 25-years-later reunion of the original cast.
Context makes the number look worse, not better. Comparable female-skewing legacy revivals have shown a wide range — The Devil Wears Prada 2 demonstrated the format’s ceiling with a $76.7 million debut, while Freakier Friday opened much lower, around $28.5 million. Practical Magic 2’s $30 million lands closer to the disappointing end of that range than the hit end.
It’s still part of a much bigger pattern. Practical Magic 2 is one entry in what’s shaping up as one of the most sequel-and-reboot-heavy years in recent box office history, with dozens of franchise films — from long-dormant properties to direct legacy sequels — built specifically around name recognition rather than new IP.
The bottom line: “No. 1 at the box office” and “box office success” aren’t the same claim this year — a growing number of legacy sequels are winning quiet weekends without actually justifying their production and marketing spend, and Practical Magic 2 looks like a case study rather than an outlier.
Sources: Deadline — Box Office: ‘Practical Magic 2’ Opening To $30M, Variety — ‘Practical Magic 2’ Box Office: Sequel Fizzles With $30 Million Debut —