Recently, Warner Bros. announced the sequel to the 1998 fantasy movie, Practical Magic, which starred Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock. Even though the story was quite gripping and the two starlets gave stellar performances, the film bombed at the box office, and many believe it was because the movie was cursed during shooting. But, is there any truth to that?
Let’s dive in and find out whether it was real magic that caused Practical Magic to flop or just a means to justify the box office dud.
Was Practical Magic cursed by a real witch to flop at the box office?
Yes, director Griffin Dunne revealed earlier that an actual witch consultant cursed the film.
Practical Magic didn’t do quite well at the box office back in 1998. Yet, the film has become a cult classic over the past two decades. In a Vanity Fair interview in 2023, Dunne disclosed that a real witch did seemingly curse the movie. He explained that the production team hired a “witch consultant” to lend more authenticity to the ceremony in the film.
He stated that the consultant got along splendidly with the film’s cast and crew. The production team believed they fairly compensated her for her services. However, it offended her that she wasn’t going to get a share of the film’s profits. So, she sent a curse in a different tongue on the director’s voicemail, while also threatening to sue Warner Bros.
Why did Practical Magic flop at the box office?
Many people on the set of Practical Magic including Griffin Dunne believed the witch consultant put a skink on the movie which may have caused its box office failure. Several odd occurrences too took place during production, and the team tried to keep the news hidden. However, this may not be the only reason for Practical Magic’s flop.
One possible reason behind the flop could be the bizarre violence, which viewers found a little over the top. Moreover, it was very different from the films that Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock fans were used to.
The Practical Magic sequel is under production, with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in talks to return as the Owen sisters. Everyone from Warner Bros. would be hoping that the curse doesn’t travel to this film.
