Practical Magic 2 opens at No. 1 with $30 million debut

Practical Magic 2 opened at No. 1 at the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $30 million, ending Spider-Man: Brand New Day's six-week run atop the charts. The Warner Bros. sequel, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, debuted in 4,146 theaters, according to estimates released Sunday by Rentrak. The film's opening was at the low end of Warner Bros.' pre-release projection range of $30 million to $35 million. It added approximately $16 million from 77 international markets, for a worldwide opening of about $46 million. The movie carries a reported $75 million production budget, leaving its profitability uncertain as it needs to perform well beyond its opening weekend. Directed by Susanne Bier, Practical Magic 2 reunites Bullock and Kidman as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, members of a family of witches trying to end an ancestral curse. The sequel introduces a younger generation of the Owens family, played by Joey King and Maisie Williams, and also stars Lee Pace. It is adapted from the work of author Alice Hoffman and arrives 28 years after the original 1998 film, which developed a cult following through home viewing and streaming.