Nearly three decades after Practical Magic first introduced us to Sally and Gillian Owens, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are back for a sequel that brings another generation of the family into the magic. Practical Magic 2 introduces Joey King as Kylie and Maisie Williams as Antonia, Sally’s now-grown daughters, while the Owens family curse once again drives much of the story.

This time, Sally and Gillian are trying to stop history repeating itself when Kylie falls in love with Gideon and his life is suddenly put at risk. The story eventually takes the Owens women to England, introduces Lee Pace’s Ian Wright and digs further into the origins of their family curse before bringing everything back home for an ending filled with familiar Practical Magic traditions.

Warning: major spoilers for Practical Magic 2 below.

What Happens to Gary in Practical Magic 2?

One of the first major revelations is that Gary Hallet, the man Sally ended up with at the end of the original Practical Magic, has died sometime between the two films. His death confirms that the Owens curse was never truly gone. Sally had already lost her first husband Michael because of it, and losing Gary leaves her determined to keep both romance and magic away from her daughters.

By the time the sequel begins, Sally has closed herself off from love and has tried to stop Kylie and Antonia from fully understanding their magical heritage. That decision becomes a major part of the story when Kylie falls in love with Gideon and he is hit by a car, echoing what happened to Michael in the first film. Gideon survives the accident but is left in a coma, forcing Kylie to confront the family history Sally has tried so hard to hide from her.

Why Does Kylie Go to England?

After discovering that she is part of the Owens magical bloodline, Kylie becomes convinced that breaking the curse is the only way to save Gideon. Her search eventually takes her to England, where she believes she can uncover the origins of the family’s magic and find a way to stop the curse permanently.

Sally and Gillian follow her, bringing occult academic Ian Wright, played by Lee Pace, into the story as they try to track Kylie down. Their search takes them to Thornfield and the ruins of Lockland Manor, where they uncover the story of Hannah Owens and learn more about how their family history began. Kylie, however, has already been drawn towards Tom Lockland, who initially presents himself as someone willing to help her.

Who Is Tom Lockland?

Tom is eventually revealed as the main threat in Practical Magic 2. He is connected to the Owens family through another branch of the bloodline and has been manipulating Kylie because he wants her magical power for himself. By the time Sally and Gillian reach Lockland Manor, Kylie has discovered the truth, but Tom attacks her and ties her to a stake at the same site connected to the persecution of her ancestors.

Sally, Gillian and Kylie eventually combine their powers against him, with Ian helping them understand what they need to do. The three Owens women join their magic together and defeat Tom, reducing him to ashes at the same place where one of their ancestors was burned centuries earlier. Kylie survives the confrontation, but defeating Tom does not solve the larger problem of the Owens curse.

Is the Owens Curse Broken?

Yes. By the end of Practical Magic 2, the Owens family curse is finally broken, although doing so comes with a devastating cost. Frances discovers that ending the curse requires an Owens woman to willingly sacrifice her own life, and she chooses to do exactly that, allowing the generations who follow her to finally love without fearing that their partners will die.

Frances’ sacrifice reunites her with Jet, who dies earlier in the film, and frees Kylie to be with Gideon without the curse hanging over them. For Sally, it also means she finally has the chance to love again after losing both Michael and Gary. The sequel removes the uncertainty left by the original film and makes it clear that the curse has genuinely ended.

Who Dies in Practical Magic 2?

Several important characters die during the film. Jet passes away earlier in the story after preparing for her death and leaving behind information that helps the family understand what needs to be done. Frances later willingly sacrifices herself to break the curse, bringing the story of the two aunts to a close and leaving Sally and Gillian to take their place as the older generation of Owens women.

Tom Lockland is also killed during the final confrontation in England when Sally, Gillian and Kylie combine their magic against him. Gary’s death happens before the events of the film, but the sequel confirms that Sally’s second husband died sometime after the original movie, proving that the curse had continued despite the seemingly hopeful ending of the first film.

Do Sally and Ian End Up Together?

Sally and Ian grow closer throughout the film, although Sally spends much of their time together refusing to consider another relationship because of everything the Owens curse has already taken from her. Even after their connection becomes clear, she is reluctant to act on it while she still believes loving him could eventually lead to his death.

Once Frances breaks the curse, that barrier finally disappears. When the film jumps forward a year, Ian is still part of Sally’s life and attends Kylie and Gideon’s wedding, confirming that their relationship has continued. After watching Sally lose two partners across the two films, the ending finally gives her the chance to build a relationship without waiting for the curse to take it away.

What Happens to Kylie and Antonia?

Kylie becomes much more connected to her magical heritage throughout Practical Magic 2. After Gideon wakes from his coma and the curse is broken, the pair eventually get married, meaning Kylie can enter the relationship without the fear that has followed generations of Owens women before her. Her growing magical abilities also leave plenty of room for her story to continue if the franchise returns.

Antonia’s future is left more open. She continues working towards becoming a neurosurgeon while also accepting that magic is part of who she is and her family. By the end, both daughters have fully embraced the Owens legacy Sally once tried to hide from them, while Sally and Gillian have effectively stepped into the position once occupied by Frances and Jet.

How Does Practical Magic 2 End?

The film jumps forward one year after the curse is broken, with the Owens family gathered for Kylie and Gideon’s wedding. Magic has returned to everyday life for Sally and her daughters, and the celebration brings back some familiar Practical Magic traditions, including frozen margaritas and Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut”. Ian is also there with Sally, showing how much her life has changed since the beginning of the film.

The final moments then bring everything full circle. Sally, Gillian, Kylie and Antonia climb onto the roof, open their black umbrellas and leap from the house together, recreating one of the original film’s most memorable images. This time, Kylie and Antonia are not being protected from the family’s magic or kept in the dark about who they are. They are being fully welcomed into it, giving the sequel a closing image that connects both generations of Owens women.

Will There Be a Practical Magic 3?

Warner Bros. has not announced Practical Magic 3, but the ending leaves several possibilities open. The Owens curse may finally be gone, but that creates a new future for the family rather than closing the door completely. Sally can explore her relationship with Ian without fearing his death, Kylie is newly married and developing her powers, and Antonia still has plenty of her own story left to tell. Gillian’s future is also left especially open, with Nicole Kidman’s character still having room for a story of her own beyond supporting Sally and the younger generation.

For CultureCues, we really enjoyed Practical Magic 2. We already love the original, so we had the limes out, made the midnight margaritas and had a little dance along the way. Losing both Jet and Frances was devastating, especially after spending so long with these characters, but Frances choosing to sacrifice herself to finally break the Owens curse made it bittersweet and gave the story a meaningful way to move forward. We were so happy to see Sally finally get the chance to be happy after everything she has lost, and we loved Kylie and Antonia as the next generation of Owens women. The final umbrella scene was the perfect way to bring both generations together and end on something that felt completely Practical Magic. This one is absolutely joining the original on our autumn cosy-movie list, and we already know the two are going to become an annual double bill. Midnight margaritas included, of course.

Practical Magic 2 is in UK cinemas now.

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