Nearly 28 years after Practical Magic arrived in theaters, Sandra Bullock has revealed how she encouraged Nicole Kidman to lean into the comedy that helped define their characters in the sequel. While promoting Practical Magic 2, Bullock recalled that Kidman initially resisted becoming the comedic sidekick, prompting Bullock to insist that it was exactly what she should do.
Sandra Bullock Pushed Nicole Kidman To Find Her Comedic Rhythm
Appearing on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, Bullock explained that the sequel gave her and Kidman very different emotional material.
“What I had to carry wasn’t really sexy for a comedian because I was like, I’m grieving. Yeah. I’m having issues with my daughter, right? I’m battling with fear and all that stuff,” she said.
Kidman, meanwhile, had the more playful material, leaving Bullock to help find ways to balance the darker parts of her own story with the lighter moments around them.
“And then she got the fun role,” Bullock said. “And I was like, where can I find moments that are appropriate within these dire situations?”
The pair and the writers continued working on those moments, with Bullock saying they kept creating fun lines for Kidman. Kidman was initially hesitant about the direction, but Bullock pushed her to embrace it.
“She didn’t want to do, like, she was like, ‘I don’t want to be the comedic sidekick.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, you do. Yes, you do.’”
Bullock reassured Kidman that comedy was exactly the direction she should take before Kidman eventually found the character’s rhythm.
“That’s what you want. Promise. And she just took to it. Like she found her rhythm. Yeah. And she’s really good at it.”
The original Practical Magic opened in 1998 to mixed reviews and earned $46.7 million domestically and $68.3 million worldwide from a reported $75 million budget. Over the years, however, the film developed a strong cult following through repeated exposure on home video, television and streaming.
Practical Magic 2 arrives in theaters on September 10, 2026, bringing Bullock and Kidman back as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens.
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