Rejected pitches for
Practical Magic 2.

This week, whimsigoths from New England to the PNW will be celebrating a long-awaited sequel. Practical Magic 2 revisits characters first conjured in Alice Hoffman’s best-selling novel, and made cult classic in the 1998 film adaptation, which follows the Owens sisters/aunts through a spooky caper in a beautifully lit Cape Cod. I’m excited to return. The groupchat is excited. But after so long away from the island, we got questions.

Though word on the street says the plot of Practical Magic 2 is lifted from Hoffman’s 2021 sequel, The Book of Magic, I’ve also spent the past twenty years imagining the Owens’ fate. But once again, the people at Denise Di Novi’s office refused to get back to me. As you polish your broomsticks and margarita recipes, consider if you will what might have been.

1. Practical Magic 2: Ghostsisters

Jimmy Angelov, the vampire-coded deadbeat, just can’t seem to quit the Owens line. His nasty spirit comes unstuck from the grave when Antonia, the brown-haired Millennial witch, works a wonky raise-the-dead spell directed at her late great aunt. (RIP, Jet.)

Though most of the island’s departed are benevolent fishermen and judgmental PTA parents—insert a murderer’s row of character actors here—Jimmy is as inclined to mayhem now as he was in the 90s. And the big nap’s only made him thirstier for tequila spiked with sister blood.

This sequel finds the entire island rocked by a ghost plague, requiring busters—some from the spirit realm. (Keep eyes peeled for the deus ex matriarch, Maria.) A B plot entails old husband hijinks, when the late fruit vendor rises only to discover that he’s been replaced by a state trooper. Sally must learn if it’s really possible to love two men at once—especially if one is a ghost. Will a supernatural pancake flipping contest settle her unruly heart?

As in the original, hatchets must be buried and covens assembled to answer these questions. And hubris is the inciting incident. Antonia, as powerful as her mother but as undisciplined as her aunt, must learn that practice makes perfect. And, no one should raise the dead.

2. Practical Magic 2: Widow’s Bae

In Hoffman’s novel, the aunts also tinker with reproductive healthcare, in the grand tradition of witch-aligned professions. This is the airspace Gillian has carved out for herself in 2026, when her services are extra-needed.

That’s right. The magic in this sequel is extra practical. But guerrilla healthcare has put Gilly at odds with 1) Sally, who’s grown problematically jealous of her charismatic sister’s rising stature in the community, and 2) her law-loving brother-in-law, Special Agent Gary Hallet. The plot thickens when young Kylie enlists her aunt’s services, unbeknownst to her parents.

After Hallet dies in a misguided clinic bust care of a banishing spell gone awry, the whole Owens clan is nearly destroyed. Three generations of sisters find themselves on opposite ends of a divide, having pitted love against a lifelong commitment to women’s health in several instances.

When the long arm of the federal law gets involved, an aunts-led coven must assemble to protect Gillian’s operation, and all the wombs on the island. But can Sally muster the grace to fight the good fight? Or will self-medication with belladonna spell the end, for real this time?

This sequel, scored top to bottom by Stevie Nicks, considers how we mourn our flawed loves, and how we rise to the responsibility great powers bequeath. Oscar-worthy stuff, Denise!

3. Practical Magic 2: Obsession 

Remember that lady in 1 who lances an innocent dove for love of a Pats fan straight outta central casting? Well, no one can be shocked to learn that she’s not doing so great. Over the last twenty years, her lured lover’s inability to chill has driven her to madness, megalomania, and the dreaded dabbling in witchcraft.

These days, let’s-call-her-Pat runs a left-handed botanical empire that threatens the Owens’ local monopoly on lotions and balms. And as a global recession threatening the island’s delicate fishing economy looms, all those ex-PTA moms are flocking to the dark end of the street for spells to keep their disgruntled partners docile.

The dilettante witches wind up waking a beast more dreadful than mid-life ennui. But will the Owens sisters swoop in to save the day? Or leave the community that’s so often iced them to clean up their own damn mess this time?

A B plot finds Hallet is in a trust crisis, wondering once again if his own love was the fruit of manipulation. As his New England cop /warlock community, this sequel will also include a bench of beloved bit players. Margo Martindale’s just the tip of this iceberg.

Sorry for your loss, Ms. Di Novi. Everyone else? See you at the solstice party.