Warner Bros.’ fantasy sequel Practical Magic 2 ended Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s six-week box office reign, pulling in $13 million domestically on Friday, September 12, according to reporting from Variety and Deadline. Directed by Susanne Bier and carrying a $75 million production budget, the legacy sequel played across 4,146 North American locations and is projected by the studio to finish its opening weekend around $30 million. The film brings back Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the Owens sisters from the 1998 original.
Box Office Performance of Practical Magic 2
The Warner Bros. release grossed $13 million on its opening day, which includes Thursday preview earnings of $4.7 million gathered from 3,200 locations, according to data cited by Deadline. Tracking indicates an opening weekend right around or just under $30 million, aligning with studio projections that originally targeted a $30 million to $35 million debut. That figure places it on par with Sandra Bullock’s 2022 action-comedy The Lost City, which opened to $30.4 million, as noted by Deadline.
Critical Reception and Cast Comparisons
Critics offered a starkly different reception than audiences, giving the film a 36 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a slight increase over the 29 percent score earned by the 1998 original. In her review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Angie Han wrote that Practical Magic 2 “works better the less you look for any sense of logic, and the more you just lean into the transient joys of watching these [two] actresses bounce off each other.” Meanwhile, Variety critic Todd Gilchrist described the project as cumbersome and overlong, drawing a parallel to the nearly three-decade gap between installments. Adapted from the work of author Alice Hoffman, the story focuses on witches Sally and Gillian Owens attempting to break a multi-generational family curse preventing them from finding love. The cast features returning stars Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest alongside newcomers Joey King, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, and Lee Pace.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Approaches All-Time Domestic Record
After leading the domestic box office for six consecutive weekends since its July 31 release, Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day slipped to second place. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the blockbuster is projected to gross roughly $8.5 million for the weekend, bringing its domestic cumulative total to approximately $935.271 million, according to trade reports. That total leaves the film just shy of capturing the all-time domestic box office record held by 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, which finished its run with $936.6 million domestically. Brand New Day entered the weekend with a worldwide gross of $2.4 billion, as reported by Variety.
The Rest of the North American Box Office Chart
That pushes the Christopher Nolan-directed feature to a domestic total of $601.2 million, making it Universal’s highest-grossing global release ever by besting 2015’s Jurassic World, according to studio data. Ketchup Entertainment’s Coyote vs. Acme occupied fourth place, tracking toward a third-weekend gross of around $6.3 million to bring its running domestic total near $47.8 million. Angel Studios’ action-comedy Runner rounded out the top five with a $2.5 million Friday debut, including previews, pointing to a $6 million opening across more than 2,500 theaters. Directed by Scott Waugh and starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson, the film earned an A- CinemaScore and a 72 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewer Frank Scheck noting in The Hollywood Reporter that it “doesn’t prove boring for a second but has trouble managing its disparate tones.”
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Struggling Openings for The Uprising and Hope
Focus Features faced a challenging start with Paul Greengrass’s historical action feature The Uprising. Starring Andrew Garfield, the film brought in $1.3 million on Friday, including previews, from over 2,000 screens. It is projected to finish its opening weekend in ninth place with roughly $3.1 million. The film holds a 53 percent critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Frank Scheck describing it in his review for The Hollywood Reporter as “skillfully made and acted, but exhausting.” Additionally, Neon brought filmmaker Na Hong-jin’s South Korean monster epic Hope to 1,500 North American theaters, where it grossed $950,000 on Friday toward an estimated $3.3 million weekend. Starring Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Hoyeon, the film earned praise from THR chief film critic David Rooney for its “virtuoso camera work, pulse-pounding score, adrenalized pacing and sharply drawn characters.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What film ended Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s box office streak?
Warner Bros.’ fantasy sequel Practical Magic 2 took the number one spot at the North American box office, ending the Marvel blockbuster’s six-week run at the top.
Who stars in Practical Magic 2?
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprise their roles as the Owens sisters, joined by supporting cast members including Joey King, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, Lee Pace, Stockard Channing, and Dianne Wiest.
How much did Practical Magic 2 make on its opening day?
According to reports from Variety and Deadline, the film grossed $13 million domestically on Friday, September 12, which includes $4.7 million from Thursday preview screenings.
How close is Spider-Man: Brand New Day to the all-time domestic record?
With a domestic running total near $935.271 million, Spider-Man: Brand New Day sits just behind 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, which holds the top spot with $936.6 million.