Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman returned for Practical Magic 2, more than two decades after the original movie became a cult favorite.
And the sequel did something that sounds like an obvious success:
It opened at No. 1 at the domestic box office.
So why are some people in Hollywood already using the word “disappointing”?
The answer reveals something strange about modern box-office success.
Being No. 1 Doesn’t Always Mean You Had a Huge Weekend
Practical Magic 2 topped the domestic box office, but its opening landed around the lower end of industry expectations.
That creates the apparent contradiction.
A movie can beat every other film playing that weekend and still perform below what a studio, theater owners or analysts expected from it.
No. 1 measures who won the weekend.
Expectations measure how much money people thought the winner should make.
Those are two very different things.
The Original Practical Magic Wasn’t a Giant Hit Either
There is another reason the early verdict may be worth treating cautiously.
The original Practical Magic, released in 1998, wasn’t initially remembered as a massive theatrical blockbuster.
Its reputation grew later.
The combination of Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, witchcraft, romance and the relationship between the Owens sisters helped the movie develop a loyal following long after its theatrical run.
That following is a major reason a sequel exists decades later.
In other words, Practical Magic has already demonstrated that opening-weekend numbers don’t necessarily tell its entire story.
So Is Practical Magic 2 Actually a Flop?
Not based simply on the fact that its opening was below some expectations.
The more important questions come next.
Does the audience keep showing up after opening weekend?
Does nostalgia bring older fans back while attracting younger viewers who discovered the original through streaming?
And does the movie perform strongly enough internationally and later on digital and streaming platforms?
Those answers will matter more than one weekend.
For now, Practical Magic 2 has landed in an unusual position:
It won the box office — while still being asked why it didn’t win by more.
And maybe that’s the more interesting question.
If finishing No. 1 can still be called disappointing, what does “box-office success” actually mean anymore?