“I love hearing your stories and connections to the film, but … I see them going on a lot of content around the sequel,” Artrip, 36, said in a Thursday, September 3, Instagram video after her OG costar Evan Rachel Wood claimed that nobody from the original film reached out to her about her own recasting.

“I think the sentiment is right. People are trying to show support for Evan and myself and the original film and everything that it’s meant to so many people, but I just don’t want my stuff to be a space for negativity,” Artrip, who has retired from acting, continued. “Maisie [Williams] and Joey [King] are lovely actresses, and I’m sure the production team did what they thought was best for the film to be successful.” (Williams, 29, and King, 27, replace Artrip and Wood’s characters in Practical Magic 2.)

She added, “I just think we should support the film, give it a shot, go in with an open mind and nothing can take away from what the original film was and I’m excited that we’re able to build on that world with a new novel and new content in 2026, and that it’s given me a space to revisit all of those beloved memories to many years later.”

Why Evan Rachel Wood Won’t Return For ‘Practical Magic 2’

Artrip, who portrayed one of Sandra Bullock’s character Sally Owens’ daughters in the 1998 original, addressed the upcoming sequel one day after Wood, 38, took to her own Instagram account to address the casting decision. “I really appreciated Joey King reaching out to me because no one who worked on the original film did. She’s a sweetheart,” Wood, who portrayed another Owens sister, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, September 1.

King had told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of Practical Magic 2 on Monday, August 31, that she’d shared a “lovely” conversation with Wood about taking on the role. “I just was so appreciative of the support that she showed to me and to the rest of the cast. She is so talented and so beautiful and she made this role so special when she was a young girl,” King said at the time. “I feel so grateful to be able to play Kylie at this age but I love Evan so much and I’m so appreciative of her kind words and the exchange that her and I shared.”

Wood confirmed in July 2025 via her Instagram Stories that she wouldn’t be returning as Kylie Owens in Practical Magic 2. “I am getting asked about this a lot, so l’ll just clear it up now; I was not asked to come back and be in the Practical Magic sequel. l offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line. I was told they are recasting,” she wrote at the time. “I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”

One month later, she said during an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she believes the decision came down to where the sequel’s story was headed. “I read the book and it seems like they’re not following the book,” Wood told the outlet. “I think in the book it would have made sense to bring me back; I think in the way they’re redoing it and approaching it, it didn’t make sense.”

“I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” Sarandon, 79, claimed during a Sunday, September 6, press conference during the 2026 Venice International Film Festival, per Deadline. “But, that’s the power structure. I think within the people, certainly internationally, I feel welcome.”

Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency, United Talent Agency (UTA), in 2023 after speaking out in defense of Palestine amid Israel and the United States’ war in the region at a rally held in New York City. (The Oscar winner eventually apologized for her comments about Jewish individuals, stressing that she wanted to “show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds.”)

In the wake of Sarandon’s pro-Palestine remarks, she discovered certain film studios withdrew offers of potential projects.

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“It depends,” she told reporters of her recent career path. “If it’s a major studio, I think there is, not just with me but with other people, that have been told that that is impossible in terms of being able to do this film.”

Sarandon attended the Venice festival in support of her upcoming film The Echo Chamber, directed by Andrea Pallaoro and adapted from Bernardo Bertolucci’s final screenplay before his 2018 death.

“I thank Andrea for that because he didn’t listen to the warnings,” Sarandon recalled of her Echo Chamber director, 44. “There has been a change in terms of understanding of the situation, and I think [in] the general public, but there are still very strongly held positions within my industry that are held by Zionists and who have not relaxed their feelings towards me.”

She continued, “I found my family, I found my people, and I’m OK.”

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Sarandon stars as famed musician Ava, whose character convinces a producer with a history of drug addiction (Luca Marinelli) to collaborate on her planned comeback album amid his complex relationship with a physiotherapist (Alicia Vikander).

“It’s all these events and memories, the things in rooms that make you relive moments and [remain] stuck in patterns, and how hard it can be to recreate yourself or change others,” Vikander, 37, teased to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month about the film. “That is, at the core, very much what this film is.”

Per Vikander, the film is set across “different timelines.”

“[The timelines] almost [makes this movie] a mystery,” she quipped. “I actually did map out the script in chronological order, and that gave me a very different sense of what I was acting and gave me another view of my character and streamlined certain things. I haven’t seen the final film, but I know [Pallaoro] has moved around scenes.”

Netflix announced on Thursday, September 3, that Deacon, 22, will portray Michael Young in Better Than the Movies opposite Beatrice Kitsos, David Iacono, Nicole Bruner, Luke Kirby and Judy Greer.

“Beyond grateful 🍿🍿🍿,” Deacon wrote via his Instagram Stories, resharing the announcement, later calling his new costars “gang” in a follow-up post.

Better Than the Movies, which is currently in development, is adapted from Lynn Painter’s bestselling YA romance novel of the same name. In the book, self-proclaimed romantic comedy fan Liz Buxbaum (Kitsos) finds herself in a love triangle of her own with longtime crush Michael (Deacon) and her neighbor and childhood nuisance, Wes (Iacono).

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Few details about the film have been revealed, though the production already has Painter’s seal of approval.

“The CHEMISTRY, you GUYYYYYS!!! They’ve totally NAILED the casting,” Painter teased via Instagram in July. “The Wes/Liz chemistry is insane here. Like, Bea and David might actually be more WesLiz than the WesLiz in my brain, cannot wait for you to see!”

She added at the time, “I’m so excited for you to seeeeeee, losing my everloving mind over here!!!”

Deacon, who graduated from New York University in May, made his acting debut in Netflix’s Never Have I Ever in 2022.

“We were breaking the season, and there was this role that seemed like it would be perfect for Deacon,” show creator Mindy Kaling told Variety at the time, noting that her longtime pal and collaborator Witherspoon, 50, had already shared Deacon’s acting ambitions. “He’s obviously so talented and he’s great-looking, and we just thought he would be great, and he was excited to come and do it.”

Deacon appeared in two episodes of Never Have I Ever as Parker, a prep school classmate of Des (Anirudh Pisharody), who briefly portrayed the love interest to Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) in the third season.

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“He’s just such a well-raised kid. He’s so talented, he’s so funny and fit in perfectly with the cast,” Kaling, 47, gushed of Deacon coming aboard the teen comedy. “The cast and the crew loved him, and it was special to have him. He’s such a humble kid, and he just wants to learn.”

She added at the time, “He’s been raised by two very successful actors. He’s not wary or anything. He just came in with this open mind and was excited.”

In addition to Deacon, Witherspoon and Ryan, 51, are parents of daughter Ava, 26. The Cruel Intentions costars were married from 1998 to 2008. Witherspoon also shares son Tennessee, 13, with ex-husband Jim Toth.

“The one [audition note] that I got, and I was not a super heavy person, but they asked me to lose 10 pounds,” Taylor, 55, claimed on the Tuesday, September 1, episode of the “Office Ladies” podcast, acknowledging that it was “a very different time” in Hollywood that “would never happen today.”

Taylor famously portrayed eldest daughter Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel. (Maureen McCormick played Marcia in the original series, which preceded the two feature-length films.)

Going into her Brady audition, Taylor was admittedly receptive to the feedback.

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“They wanted me to lose 10 pounds, but it didn’t matter. I was like, ‘I’ll lose 10 pounds,’” she stated. “Of course, I was embarrassed when that ask came my way … I wasn’t the only person that was asked to lose weight for a role back then. That was just how things went.”

According to Taylor, she started to regain her weight during production.

“The joke is, over the course of the movie, if you watch it very closely, I start to put 10 pounds back on, and you can see it,” she quipped, stifling a laugh. “I’ll come into a scene looking a little rounder, and then, like, I exit the scene looking a little thinner, just because of how they had to reshoot things. Over the course of the movie, I started to treat myself [and] non-fat frozen yogurt was the craze at the time, and that was my treat.”

Even so, Taylor was grateful for the opportunity as a major fan of the OG series.

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“I knew it, in my core, that there was nobody who could do it better,” she added. “It was so important for me to do it in a way that was not making fun because I loved it so much. I didn’t look at the shows and say, ‘This is ridiculous. This is so funny [and] this is how I’m going to parody this.’ I love it so much, I want it to be so pure and so genuine and so Maureen, and that is how I approached it.”

Taylor has previously been candid about her Brady Bunch tenure.

“I remember thinking I would have done this movie for free. Truly,” the actress exclusively told Us in 2023. “I would have paid them to be in the movie. But the desperation of my agents to get me that job, like, ‘Yes! Everyone is getting $2,500.’”

“[This] is arguably the heftiest sex scene I’ve ever done, and that might be misleading, actually, because I don’t want people to think they’re about to see Blue Is the Warmest Colour, because they’re not,” Reinhart, 29, told Elle in a profile published Wednesday, September 2. “Having a very explicit sex scene would not have fit within the confines of the rest of the film. It just wouldn’t have made sense.”

The Love Hypothesis, written by bestselling romance novelist Ali Hazelwood, follows biology grad student Olive (Reinhart) as she enters into a fake relationship with strict professor Dr. Adam Carlson (Bateman) after a friend asks permission to date her former fling. At one point, Olive stays with Adam in a hotel room during an out-of-town conference, where they notably hook up.

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In addition to starring as Olive, Reinhart produced the Prime Video film adaptation.

“When you have a sex scene that’s two chapters long, some people could have expectations of what it will be. So, there was pressure,” the Riverdale alum noted to Elle of the romantic scene. “I actually probably felt the most pressure with the sex scene just because of how much people love it. That’s a very big draw to the book, and I understand that. Tom and I felt that, and I really pushed to be as sexy as possible while still making sense in the movie.”

The two actors also worked with an intimacy coordinator to feel comfortable bringing the steamy scene to life.

“There’s something that’s a little bit disconnected from brain and body. I was naked with someone in a room — actually, multiple people — for six hours,” she recalled of the filming experience. “And then, I go home and sleep by myself in my bed, and I wake up alone, and I’m like, ‘Am I OK?’ I was checking in with myself, and I totally was — I felt very emotionally OK.”

She continued, “It’s so paramount to do something like this with someone you trust, and that’s why I love Tom. I love him, and I’m so happy I got to do that [scene] with him. … It is a wild experience and something that not a lot of people can relate to, in terms of filming [sex scenes].”

According to Reinhart, her onscreen leading man is “one of [her] favorite scene partners” to date because he was “always game” and frequently arrived to set in “a great mood.”

'The Love Hypothesis' Stars Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman Address Book Changes

“It was always incredibly comfortable, especially when you’re doing intimate things,” she said. “There was not an ounce of discomfort and there was complete trust. We’re both in relationships that were completely respected on- and off-camera.”

Reinhart is dating Not Suitable for Work star Jack Martin, while Bateman, 37, is married to Daisy Ridley. (Ridley, 34, famously portrays Rey in the Star Wars franchise, whose character’s onscreen romance with Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren inspired The Love Hypothesis novel.)

For Bateman, he felt a similar respect working with Reinhart on their steamy scenes that helps move the film arc along.

“When [a sex scene] is gratuitous, it can be an uncomfortable thing for both actors and audience members,” he told the outlet. “But, when it is so deeply necessary to the characters’ arc, and it really was [in The Love Hypothesis], it’s the moment where language stops being enough.”

The Love Hypothesis premieres on Prime Video Wednesday, September 23.

Warner Bros. announced in June 2024 via TikTok that a follow-up to the original film, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman, was officially in “development.”

In addition to Kidman and Bullock appearing in the film as sisters Gillian and Sally Owens, respectively, the costars are also set to produce alongside Denise Di Novi. Filmmaker Akiva Goldsman (The Client, Batman Forever, I, Robot, Cinderella Man) was tapped to write the screenplay.

Sandra Bullock Is ‘Excited’ About ‘Practical Magic 2’ With Nicole Kidman

The highly-anticipated sequel will transport viewers from the idyllic New England setting from the 1998 movie to England when it hits theaters in September 2026.

Scroll down for everything we know about Practical Magic 2:

Who Is in the ‘Practical Magic 2’ Cast?

Kidman confirmed in June 2024 that she and Bullock will return to star in the sequel as the Owens sisters.

“Yes, I will be in it,” Kidman told People. “And Sandy will be in it. And that’s that. There’s a lot more to tell which is why we go, ‘OK, this is kind of interesting now to be able to do this.”

Seven more stars were added to the cast in July 2025, including some returning faces. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing will be reprising their roles of Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny, respectively. Joey King will portray Sally’s daughter, portraying the grown up version of Kylie. Maisie Williams will play Sally’s youngest daughter, Antonia. The rest of the cast includes, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod.

Unfortunately, Evan Rachel Wood revealed she would not be returning to the sequel to reprise her role of Kylie Owens.

“I am getting asked about this a lot, so I’ll just clear it up now,” she wrote via her Instagram Stories in July 2025. “I was not asked to come back and be in the #PracticalMagic sequel.”

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When Does ‘Practical Magic 2’ Come Out?

Warner Bros. confirmed September 11, 2026 is the release date for Practical Magic 2. The film will roll out early in some markets on September 9 or September 10, including select theaters in the U.S.

What Is the Plot of ‘Practical Magic 2’?

Per IMDb, the synopsis is, “A multi generational family of witches, cursed to be loveless for centuries, attempts to break the spell by confronting dark secrets and sacrificing for each other.”

Most details for the movie are under wraps and when asked about the plot, Kidman teased to People, “You have to ask Sandy.”

“We’ve been circling it for a while, but you know, it’s still in [the early stages],” she added at the time.

The 1998 original film, directed by Griffin Dunne, followed sisters Gillian and Sally, descendants of a long line of witches raised by their aunts after their parent’s death from a family curse. After Sally accidentally kills Gillian’s abusive boyfriend, the pair must use their practical magic to destroy his evil spirit before it kills them.

Although the film received mixed reviews after its release and lost money during its box office run, it has since gained a cult following.

What Have Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock Said About a ‘Practical Magic’ Sequel?

The sequel may have taken over two decades to get made, but Kidman and Bullock have said nothing but positive things about filming the original.

“I love that movie,” Kidman said of Practical Magic when she reunited with Bullock at the 2018 Academy Awards red carpet. “I showed that movie to my kids. It’s a little above their [level of understanding] … But we’re really good sisters.”

Bullock, for her part, said she had a “great time” filming with Kidman before reminiscing about the iconic “midnight margaritas” scene.

“We weren’t drunk when we shot these parts or when we did our close-ups,” Bullock recalled in a clip from Today that resurfaced in 2019. “But we had to reshoot a scene where it was far away and we were on our backs and Nicole just put the bottle on the table and said, ‘You know what? There’s no reason we shouldn’t be drunk here.’ And I said, ‘You know what? That’s true.’ ”

Sandra Bullock Enjoys Rare Night With ‘Practical Magic’ Costar Joey King 

Will Griffin Dunne Direct the ‘Practical Magic’ Sequel?

Dunne will not be directing the project, but Bullock praised his storytelling abilities while attending a book party celebrating his memoir, The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir.

“You feel like you were always in the back seat experiencing it all with him. He has lived more lives than a cat,” Bullock told reporters. “I don’t know anyone who has experienced what he has and can still manage to find the love and humor in even the darkest of places.”

Susanne Bier serves as director of the sequel.

Is There a 1st Look of ‘Practical Magic 2’?

After kicking off filming in July 2025, Kidman took to Instagram to share a clip of her and Bullock hugging in a scene.

“The witches are back ✨ Owens sisters’ first day on set!” Kidman captioned the reel.

‘Practical Magic’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Where Was ‘Practical Magic 2’ Filmed?

The first Practical Magic movie took place in a fictional New England town but was filmed in Coupeville, Washington, on Whidbey Island.

The sequel will take fans across the pond, as it was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England. Additional scenes were shot at various locations around London.

Nicole Kidman Announces ‘Practical Magic 2’ Has Wrapped

Kidman confirmed in September 2025 that the magical sequel finished filming, sharing a video of her and Bullock walking together off into the sunset.

“That’s a wrap on #PracticalMagic2! Thank you to the cast & crew for all your magic ✨,” she captioned the Instagram post.

Owens Sisters Reunite in 'Practical Magic 2' Trailer to Stop Love 'Curse'

Is There a ‘Practical Magic 2’ Official Trailer?

Warner Bros. released the official trailer in June 2026, giving fans a taste at Sally and Gillian back in action — this time to stop Sally’s daughter Kylie from getting hurt while trying to break their family’s love curse.

“No magic is stronger than sisterhood. Cast by fate, tested by time and never broken,” Aunt Franny says in the trailer as clips of Sally and Gillian and Franny and her sister, Aunt Jet, sit around a table with midnight margaritas.

Their happiness is short-lived after Kylie learns firsthand that their family’s curse — any man an Owens woman loves is doomed to die — leads to her boyfriend getting hit by a car.

Amid her heartbreak, Kylie vows to “fix the curse” and runs off to the U.K. where Sally and Gillian follow in hopes of saving her and lifting the curse once and for all.

“When you have someone who knows who you were and who you will always be, there is no deeper tie, no stronger bond,” Sally says as glimpses of her and Gillian’s rocky quest unfolds. “I want you to know if anything happens to me, Gilly it’s you. You are my person.”

Something Sweet Is Brewing

M&M’s announced in September 2026 that it teamed up with Camilla Belle, who played the original young Sally Owens in 1998, for a limited edition Amas Veritas Spell & Snack Pack.

The collectible pack is inspired by the “Amas Veritas” love charm that Belle recites in the first Practical Magic film, featuring eight symbols that Sally wished for in her ideal man — like flipping pancakes in the air.

The custom M&M’s candies will also include four new symbols that hint at “mysteries brewing” in Practical Magic 2.

The Oscar nominee, 39, played Greek soldier Sinon in Nolan’s fantasy epic, reuniting with the director 16 years after they collaborated on Inception. But in a new interview on the “On Film… With Kevin McCarthy” podcast, Page admitted that the film’s critical and commercial success hasn’t resulted in more acting offers.

Host Kevin McCarthy reasoned that Page must be “getting a zillion calls after this movie,” to which Page surprisingly responded, “No, Kevin, I’m not.”

“I’d really love to do, ideally, good work,” Page said on the Tuesday, September 1, podcast episode. “That’s what I’d love to do.”

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Page also discussed his experience on the set of The Odyssey compared to filming Inception before his transition. The actor came out as a transgender man in December 2020.

“I had such a great time being in that movie … but I was also personally really uncomfortable,” he said of filming Inception. “I feel like, now, because that’s removed, I don’t have to deal with that when I’m acting, in my performances. I feel like I could do some of my best work now.”

“I’m not having to literally work through a performance that I don’t even quite know I’m doing to get to a performance,” he explained. “So, the experience of walking onto a Chris set this time … in ways of it being cathartic, when I wrapped on The Odyssey, I had a moment. There was a full-circle moment.”

Page appeared alongside a star-studded cast in The Odyssey, including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya and more.

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However, before the movie’s release, Nolan received criticism from some on the political right for casting Page and Lupita Nyong’o, who played Helen of Troy.

In a July interview with the U.K.’s Telegraph newspaper, Nolan said he was unbothered by backlash.

“But look, these conversations that happen before people see the film — they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet,” he said. “All I can do is make the best film I possibly can in the most sincere way. It’s very different from how anyone else would do it, but that’s what adaptation is.”

Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg also passionately defended Page’s casting on The View.

“You don’t like Elliot Page? Don’t go see the damn movie. Don’t do it. We will be OK if you don’t go see it,” she said in July.

“A lot of conservatives who see this are going to feel the same way [about Page’s casting]. That’s OK. But I don’t understand … why go see the movie?” Goldberg continued. “If you don’t wanna see it, then don’t go see it. Why do you care who’s cast in it? I don’t understand this idea that if we hate it, everybody must hate it.”

“I really appreciated Joey King reaching out to me because no one who worked on the original film did. She’s a sweetheart,” Wood, 38, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, September 1.

The jab comes after Wood’s 1998 role as Kylie Owens, one of Sandra Bullock’s character Sally Owens’ daughters, was recast with King, 27, replacing her in the upcoming Practical Magic 2.

King told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of Practical Magic 2 on Monday, August 31, that she’d shared a “lovely” conversation with Wood in light of the casting switch-up.

“I just was so appreciative of the support that she showed to me and to the rest of the cast. She is so talented and so beautiful and she made this role so special when she was a young girl,” King told the outlet. “I feel so grateful to be able to play Kylie at this age but I love Evan so much and I’m so appreciative of her kind words and the exchange that her and I shared.”

Why Evan Rachel Wood Won’t Return For ‘Practical Magic 2’

Wood revealed in July 2025 that she wouldn’t be returning for the sequel amid confirmed reappearances from the film’s leads, including Bullock, 62, and Nicole Kidman.

Sharing the news via her Instagram Stories at the time, Wood wrote, “I am getting asked about this a lot, so l’ll just clear it up now; I was not asked to come back and be in the Practical Magic sequel. l offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line. I was told they are recasting. I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”

In July, Wood expanded her take on the casting redirection during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I read the book and it seems like they’re not following the book,” Wood claimed. “I think in the book it would have made sense to bring me back; I think in the way they’re redoing it and approaching it, it didn’t make sense.”

Wood’s Practical Magic costar Alexandra Artrip was also omitted from the sequel, with Maisie Williams replacing her as Kylie’s sister, Antonia Owens.

The sequel’s director, Susanne Bier, told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday that a recasting was necessary due to creating a “certain age group” in the sequel. She told the outlet, “In the story, they’re just, like, literally out of college, and with Joey and Maisie it just felt completely right.”

Along with Bullock and Kidman, 59, who are reprising their original roles, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are back as the witchy aunts of the leads’ sibling characters.

Frodin, 17, will make her US Open singles debut on Tuesday, September 1, five years after being the body double for Demi Singleton, the actress who played a young Williams in the 2021 movie King Richard.

“I’ve worked so hard to try and get to this level, and to have an opportunity like this is just really special for me,” Frodin told the Associated Press on Monday, August 31.

Frodin will face No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the first round of the US Open.

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Though this is her first time playing singles at the US Open, Frodin has played competitive tennis since childhood. Her success at 10-and-under tennis in California is what first got her the opportunity to audition for the sports drama that centered around Richard Williams, father of Serena, 44, and her sister, fellow tennis prodigy Venus Williams.

“I was on set for six months and I got to be alongside some really cool actors, and obviously Will Smith, and just the whole experience was super cool for me,” Frodin said. “And obviously to be able to play the double, or the role, of somebody that I look up to and I have always been inspired by was truly, like, a very special experience for me.”

Frodin soon found out that her role was more than just acting. She began to notice Serena’s tendencies started to leak into her own tennis game.

“It’s actually funny. After I was done with the movie, I actually got into the habit of using, or playing with her strokes, and I couldn’t switch back to mine because I was so used to hers,” she said. “So my parents — I mean, obviously, it’s a great person to replicate — but my parents were a little bit upset because I was playing like Serena, so it took me a while to get back to my normal technique.”

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Still early in her professional career, Frodin said she isn’t sure what the future holds — on the court or in front of the camera.

“Obviously, my No. 1 focus always has been tennis, but I’ve always had this little thought in the back of my mind. I feel like it would be really cool if I could somehow balance both,” Frodin said. “I mean, I loved every second of being in that kind of environment, of that kind of acting life. I enjoy it a lot, and yeah, if it’s even possible, I don’t mind having that as a side gig, you know?”

“We thought, ‘This is going to be such an amazing film. People are going to love it.’ And then it got quiet. It got quiet,” Bullock, 62, shared with Variety at the Practical Magic 2 Los Angeles premiere on Monday, August 31.

The Oscar winner added, “[They] were like, ‘How many women in a film do you need? How many tones do you need? What kind of film is this?’”

While Practical Magic has become something of a cult classic in the nearly 30 years since its October 1998 release, at the time, it received mixed critical reactions and flopped at the box office. (The film grossed $68 million worldwide on an estimated budget of $75 million.)

Nicole Kidman Says Filming on 'Practical Magic 2' is Finished: ‘Thank You’

Now, however, Practical Magic 2 is set to hit theaters, with Bullock and Kidman reprising their roles as sister witches Sally and Gillian (or “Gilly”) Owens, respectively. Stockard Channing and Dianne West return as Sally and Gilly’s aunts Frances (or “Franny”) and Jet.

“It just happened,” Kidman told Variety of the sequel. “It was more like serendipity, and it came, and we were ready, and everything fell into place. It’s like in life — you try to force things, it doesn’t work. You have to wait, be patient, and we [were] both kind of open to it.”

Game of Thrones alum Maisie Williams and A Family Affair actress Joey King play Bullock’s daughters in the new movie.

In a November 2025 conversation with Ariana Grande for Interview magazine, Kidman, 59, opened up about reuniting with longtime friend Bullock and her other costars after three decades.

Fans React to First Look of 'Practical Magic 2' With Sandra and Nicole

The Oscar winner noted that often, “I don’t have fun when I’m filming,” because of the emotional toll of the scenes she’s in, but with the Practical Magic 2 cast, “I have such a strong relationship with all those women, so I felt protected and loved. It was just very, very safe.”

She added, “And to come back to something so many years later and go, ‘We’re still able to get this movie made at a big, big studio like Warner’s,’ and that Sandy and I were able to produce it and get it made is insane.”

Practical Magic 2 is released in theaters on September 10.

Cruise, 64, sat next to an empty chair, reserved for Busch, at the pre-race driver’s meeting ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race on Saturday, August 29. A sign taped to the chair read, “Kyle Busch” with the legend’s No. 8, as Cruise occasionally patted the seat in acknowledgment.

Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, died in May at age 41 after a battle with pneumonia progressed into sepsis and further complications.

The Days of Thunder sequel, slated for a June 2028 release, will star Cruise, reprising his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle. Anne Hathaway will also join the cast, playing a team owner and engineer.

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Cruise and Hathaway, 43, both announced the movie via Instagram on Saturday, posting a photo from the Daytona racetrack next to a green car with “Days of Thunder, Summer 2028” written across it.

Fans of Busch noticed that while Cruise was there to promote his movie, his patting the chair next to him served as a subtle tribute.

“I wonder if Tom knows that the original Days of Thunder was Kyle’s favorite racing movie,” one fan wrote via X. “Thanks Tom we appreciate the respect!”

“That’s respect, thank you Tom Cruise,” another added.

Busch is survived by his wife, Samantha, and their two children, Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4.

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“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” NASCAR said in a statement following his death. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.”

Samantha, 40, has been open about her grief, often sharing via social media her struggles to cope as she continues to raise Brexton and Lennix. She also spoke publicly about losing Kyle while accepting an award at the Carlos Rodón Foundation’s annual Willow Gala in New York last week.

“Losing him has been the greatest heartbreak of my life,” she said. “And if I’m being truthful, there are still so many things I don’t understand and so many times I wish God’s plan looked different than it does.”

Samantha continued, “Caring for the things that Kyle and I built together can feel incredibly heavy because he should still be here doing it beside me. But I also know that the same God who carried us through infertility is still carrying me now.”

“Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for Days of Thunder[‘s] NASCAR audience who are MAGA. The sexy older chick for Tom in this film needs to be Nicole [Kidman]. That’s the casting that would sell the idea,” Quaid, 75, wrote via X on Saturday, August 29.

A separate X post from the actor stated that “Anne isn’t sexy, because and if you haven’t noticed, she’s pregnant.” (Hathaway, 43, is expecting her third child with husband Adam Shulman.)

Quaid, who played racing team owner Tim Daland opposite real-life exes Cruise, 64, and Kidman, 59, in 1990’s Days of Thunder, also directed his criticism of the casting decision toward the Top Gun star himself. “We need Nicole back. Don’t be a p****, @TomCruise. You need the original girl. It’s not personal; it’s filmmaking,” the National Lampoon’s Vacation star wrote. (Cruise and Kidman finalized their divorce in 2001 after 10 years of marriage.)

Us has reached out to a representative for Hathaway for comment.

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Quaid, who has also appeared in Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain, further commented on the sequel’s extended lead time of almost two years. “It’s interesting because when we made the first one there was also a rush to get it out; editors slept in the cutting room on shifts. This is a weird thing, like they want it to come out and tank,” Quaid wrote. (The Days of Thunder sequel is slated for theatrical release in June 2028.)

The posts attracted a mixed response via X, with one social media user commenting, “Pregnant or not, Anne Hathaway is sexy as hell.” Another person wrote, “Anne Hathaway is the last person that should be in this movie.”

Quaid, who is the older brother of Dennis Quaid, took to X following Saturday’s announcement of a second Days of Thunder installment. Cruise, who is set to produce and star in the project with Jerry Bruckheimer reprising his producer role and Jonathan Levine directing, was seen in a video alongside Hathaway to mark the news.

“I think it’s on,” Cruise said into the camera via his Instagram video before introducing Hathaway into the mix. “Annie? It looks ‘on’ to me, don’t you think?”

Dressed in a white cowboy hat and motorcycle jacket, Hathaway proceeded to wave to the camera before the pair stepped back to reveal a neon car with the script “Days of Thunder: Summer 2028” adorning one side.

“I’m going to have this baby and then we’re going to make this movie,” Hathaway said with a laugh.

“That’s a good idea,” Cruise responded. “You have the baby and then we’ll go make the movie.”

“Days of Thunder. Summer 2028,” Cruise, 64, announced via Instagram on Saturday, August 29, beside a photo of the action star posing beside pregnant Anne Hathaway in front of a neon-green race car at Daytona International Speedway.

In a follow-up upload, Cruise revealed that Hathaway, 43, will be his new costar in the film.

“I think it’s on,” he spoke into the camera in Instagram footage. “Annie? It looks ‘on’ to me, don’t you think?”

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Hathaway, rocking a white cowboy hat and matching motorcycle jacket, noted that the camera did seem to be rolling.

“Hey,” she waved to the camera with a laugh. “What should we do?”

After Cruise noted that the two actors should “show ‘em,” they strolled over to the neon car.

“Now what?” he asked, to which Hathaway proclaimed that they should “make the movie.”

“I’m gonna have this baby, and then we’re gonna make this movie,” she quipped, referring to her pregnancy with her and husband Adam Shulman’s third child.

According to Cruise, it was a “good idea” for Hathaway to give birth pre-production.

“We’re coming out summer of 2028,” he added. “Don’t be late!”

Further details for the new Days of Thunder film have not yet been revealed at the time of publication. Variety reports that the movie will be shot for IMAX screens and released exclusively in theaters for formats including Dolby Cinema and 4DX.

Per the outlet, Cruise will reprise his role as racecar driver Cole Trickle opposite Hathaway’s character as a new team owner and engineer. Jonathan Levine will direct the film, which Cruise is set to produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.

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Cruise initially played Cole in director Tony Scott’s 1990 hit Days of Thunder, following a rookie NASCAR driver’s rivalry with veteran racer Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). After Cole and Rowdy get seriously injured in a race, they soon become fast friends. The film also starred Cary Elwes and Nicole Kidman, who began dating Cruise after portraying an onscreen couple. Cruise and Kidman, 59, got married later that year before divorcing in 2001.

“I was 22, 23 years old and I had this huge movie star husband, but it just seemed completely natural,” Kidman told British Vogue in a profile published earlier this month. “We just fell madly in love and it was that simple. I remember people saying to me, ‘OK, well this is really going to affect your career.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t care. I’m in love. I want to be married.’”

It’s not yet known whether Kidman or any other OG Days of Thunder stars will return for the sequel.

The 1998 film starred Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens and Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens, both of whom are unlucky in love thanks to a curse placed on the women of their family because of their witch roots.

While Sally mourns the death of her husband, Michael (Mark Feuerstein) — and moves her daughters in with her aunts, Frances (Stockard Channing) and Jet (Dianne Wiest) — Gillian gets into an abusive relationship. The siblings must come together to rid themselves of Gillian’s boyfriend, Jimmy (Goran Višnjić), and his ghost while embracing their witch side.

The cast’s bond — and famous midnight margaritas scene — has continued to resonate with moviegoers for decades. The beloved film sparked a sequel, which Bullock and Kidman returned for, premiering in September 2026.

Scroll down to see what the cast of Practical Magic has been up to since the ‘90s — and don’t forget to plant lavender for luck at your home:

“I would love to have Tom come be on The Rookie: North with us,” Ellis, 44, exclusively told Us while promoting his new campaign with Citibank and American Airlines. “I’m throwing it out there.”

Ellis continued to playfully poke fun at the suggestion, saying, “‘Tom, [you should come join], wherever you are.’ [Since] he’s probably parachuting somewhere right now or doing a motorcycle jump over a cliff.”

The ideas didn’t stop there.

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“I would love to have some of my costars come pop in. My Top Gun: Maverick costars and Insecure folks or Running Point people — or All Her Fault folks,” Ellis continued. “It’d be a lot of fun to have some of them come pop in and do an episode or two with us. I will be calling all of them. All of you will get text messages followed up by phone calls, and I will go through your agents as well.”

Before booking The Rookie: North, Ellis became a household name for his work on Insecure. He has also had notable TV roles on Running Point, All Her Fault and Not Suitable for Work. On the big screen, Ellis played Lieutenant Reuben “Payback” Fitch in Top Gun: Maverick opposite Cruise.

“You know Tom from, like, all the things you’ve seen and the interviews and the stunts he’s done. Then you get a chance to work with him, and he is a mentor, a friend, a costar, a producer,” Ellis recalled. “He’s all the things in one that you could possibly want. It is the experience of Tom as you get all of Tom, which is really, really amazing.”

Ellis credited Cruise, 64, for teaching him some valuable lessons.

“He is truly giving and caring. One of the one of my favorite things that I take with me — and I do this now — is he would walk in every single morning and he’d be like, ‘Hey, how’s your day? What do you need [for] today to be better? What can I help you do for your job to be better today?'” he told Us. “That’s leadership in a way that’s not often taught.”

Ellis also picked up some skills in front of the screen, adding, “You can’t work with Tom Cruise and then not do your own stunts. He sets the bar so high, so you have to [like I did in The Rookie: North].”

While Ellis didn’t have a major update on Top Gun 3, he expressed excitement at the possibilities.

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“I hope we call it Top Gun: Payback. There is a script. We do know that they’re trying to figure it out,” he teased. “I’ve been really fortunate actually through my whole career to work with some folks who, like, on the creative side will not rush anything. They will bake creative as long as it needs to be baked — the story and the characters — for it to be right.”

He continued: “This is one of those instances now where, you know, it took Tom years to make Top Gun: Maverick. We also have to honor that and realize that there is a way to do it. There is a purpose behind it and how it’s done. This is a creative team that is going to honor that and make sure that it’s done in the right way.”

Ellis isn’t just waiting to return for Top Gun 3. He is booked and busy with The Rookie: North while also partnering on the go with the Citi / AAdvantage Executive Mastercard.

“I come from an aviation family. My maternal and paternal grandparents were in the Air Force. My dad was in the Air Force and then he went to work for American Airlines, where he still works 30 years later. My uncle worked for American Airlines for 30-something years,” Ellis shared. “So travel has been in my family for a very long time. We all have this wanderlust and love to get on a plane and go somewhere and explore.”

Ellis called the collaboration “a dream,” saying, “We get to take these things that we love — or at least these things that I love — and all these experiences and cultures and moments and food and beautiful landscapes. I also get to do it very comfortably, which I think is really really cool.”

He added, “The Citi / AAdvantage Executive Mastercard allows me to travel in a very comfortable way, which makes me super happy. A lot of perks and a lot of miles so that makes me super happy.”

Channing, 82, attended the European premiere of Practical Magic 2 at London’s Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on Wednesday, August 26, dressed in a chic navy suit. The actress posed on the red carpet with costars Dianne Wiest, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King and Maisie Williams.

Channing and Wiest, 78, notably portrayed sister witches in 1998’s Practical Magic, who raised their orphaned nieces Sally and Gillian Owens (Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman). The group all reprised their roles in the upcoming and highly anticipated sequel, in which King, 27, and Williams, 29, play Sally’s teen daughters who have bewitching powers (and curses) of their own.

In the years preceding her Practical Magic return, Channing had primarily resigned from the spotlight.

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“Since just before COVID I’ve been living in London. My partner, Daniel [Gillham], died in 2014 and it was more devastating than I realized; it had a lag effect,” the Grease star told The Sunday Times earlier this month. “The pattern of my life shifted, so I shifted my life from Maine.”

She continued, “I’ve lived alone since I lost Daniel and I’m happy being a recluse. I was married four times before Daniel and they all represent epochs of me. Children were thought about, and, yeah, I think about them now because it’d be great to have someone taking care of me. But, hey, children can be just as selfish as everybody else out there.”

Channing and cinematographer Gillham were together from 1990 until his death in 2014. (She was previously married to Walter Channing Jr. from 1963 to 1967, to Paul Schmidt from 1970 to 1976, to David Debin from 1976 to 1980 and to David Rawle from 1980 to 1988.)

Following Gillham’s death, Channing has preferred a simple life in London.

“If I’m leaving the apartment, I comb my hair, but I don’t have a wardrobe of designer outfits,” she told the British outlet. “Well, I do, but they’re all from the ’80s and ’90s. Do I care how I look? Most actors do — although part of your job is not being self-conscious. But I’ve never considered myself as beautiful. And I’m not a celebrity ‘tart.’ I’m just me, take it or leave it.”

She added at the time, “Pottering is my meditation; moving things from that pile to that pile. I may read and fall asleep around 11. If I can’t sleep, it’s probably just my subconscious clearing out stuff. Do I ever feel anxious? Sure, but that’s the price you pay for getting rid of the garbage.”

They may not always have the lead role, be the team captains or have millions of Instagram followers, but something about these individuals catches our attention and has Us googling them shirtless for more.

We’ve always known Zac Efron has it going on, but Dylan Efron’s unexpected rise to prominence on Traitors had Us looking up his Instagram — only to find it’s stock-full of thirst traps. (Thank you, Dylan Efron.)

Sure, Jalen Hurts is all the rage, but the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl championship suddenly had Us drooling over Saquon Barkley’s “Saquads” and tuning into the Big Game.

And yes, John B. (a.k.a. Chase Stokes) is the obvious crush on Outer Banks, but series villain Drew Starkey’s nuanced and erotic performance in Queer had Us looking at the actor in a whole new light.

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The Los Angeles Police Department tells Us that officers responded to a radio call for a “death investigation” at Curry’s home at 11:23 p.m. on Tuesday.

Curry’s cause of death was not immediately known, but he had been plagued with serious health issues for more than a decade. TMZ, which broke the news, reported that no foul play is suspected.

Us has reached out to Curry’s rep for comment.

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In May 2013, Curry’s rep confirmed the actor had suffered a stroke in July 2012 that left him partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.

Nearly three years after the stroke, Curry shared an update with fans as he received a lifetime achievement award from the Actors Fund.

“I’m doing well,” he told Los Angeles magazine at the time, adding that his sense of humor was “absolutely vital” to his recovery. “It’s not tough to maintain. It is just part of my DNA.”

Curry went on to reflect on his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, noting that he looked back on it “with a sort of bemused tolerance” after it launched his film career. “It’s neither a blessing nor a curse,” he said. “I was lucky to get it.”

Despite his health issues, Curry continued to make appearances at fan events and shifted his focus to voice acting. In 2016, he served as the narrator for The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again, which saw Laverne Cox taking over his original role.

Curry told People at the time that he was pleased to be “coming back to the project, which I hold very dear. It’s very exciting. It will be very interesting because it’s very close to me.”

Curry was born in Cheshire, England, in April 1946. He got his start in theater, acting in the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968. He subsequently starred as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1973 stage production of The Rocky Horror Show, and his breakthrough moment came when he reprised the role in the film adaptation.

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After the movie’s release, Curry appeared in a Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Show. Although it closed after just 45 performances, he returned to the stage in Travesties and Amadeus, for which he earned a Tony Award nomination in 1981.

As he landed more film and TV gigs, Curry also released three studio albums: 1978’s Read My Lips, 1979’s Fearless and 1981’s Simplicity. The following year, he played Rooster in the 1982 hit film adaptation of Annie. In 1990, Curry portrayed another career-defining character, Pennywise, in the television miniseries It. He later originated the role of King Arthur in Spamalot in 2005, for which he received another Tony Award nomination.

Curry was also known for his roles as butler Wadsworth in 1985’s Clue, the Plaza Hotel concierge in 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Nigel Thornberry in Nickelodeon’s The Wild Thornberrys, which aired from 1998 to 2004. He released a memoir, Vagabond, in October 2025.

According to documents filed with the Superior Court of the State of California on Tuesday, August 25, and obtained by Us, Amanda Ghost has provided alleged correspondence sent by Wilson, 46, to the same PR company who Lively, 39, alleged orchestrated a smear campaign against her led by Baldoni, 42.

In the documents, texts allegedly sent by Wilson to entertainment publicist Melissa Nathan, suggest that the Pitch Perfect star ordered Nathan to create anonymous websites that tarnished Ghost. (Ghost worked with Wilson on the star’s 2024 directorial debut The Deb, during which the pair experienced a falling out.)

“Question – did you receive my text for the website?” Wilson allegedly wrote to Nathan, per the text exchange. “I never received an invoice.”

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Nathan’s alleged response read, “Morning, so sorry I was asleep. We have full text for the website we hadn’t heard from you – I know that it was a tough few days your end so I didn’t want to keep bugging. Your business manager has already sorted this with Bryan’s office. It will be up shortly once this is done.”

Additional emailed correspondence in Ghost’s filing appeared to show draft text for a website that appeared online in August 2024. The email included content that disparaged Ghost, labeling her “the Indian Ghislaine Maxwell,” which appeared on the site. (Maxwell, 64, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping the late businessman Jeffrey Epstein groom underage women.)

Tuesday’s court documents state that Ghost alleges that Nathan and her firm TAG PR “collectively participated in causing the publication and dissemination of websites (“Ghost Websites”) containing such accusations against Ms. Ghost as that she is involved in “procuring young women for the pleasure of the extremely wealthy.””

The documents also allege that Bryan Freedman, who represented Baldoni after Lively sued the It Ends With Us director at the end of December 2024, which resulted in a countersuit, and Jed Wallace, who was included in “text messages, depositions and legal filings as playing a key role in alleged efforts to damage” Lively’s reputation, per The New York Times.

Baldoni, Wallace and Nathan all denied Lively’s allegations and Lively’s lawsuit was settled in May.

A lawyer for Wilson told The New York Times on Tuesday that the filing was “one-sided and thus incomplete,” adding that “there are two sides to every story, and Ms. Wilson looks forward to telling her side at the trial in this disputed matter.”

Wilson is scheduled to go to trial with Ghost in Los Angeles in January 2027.

The Almost Famous actress portrays magazine columnist Andie Anderson in the film, which premiered in February 2003. As an ode to recently dumped friend Michelle Rubin (Kathryn Hahn), Andie pitches herself to write a “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” article about the traditional behaviors that frequently compel men to end relationships. Her guinea pig is none other than advertising executive Ben Barry (McConaughey), who coincidentally bets his coworkers that he could make any lady fall in love in the same span of 10 days.

The movie — which also starred Annie Parisse, Thomas Lennon and Bebe Neuwirth — quickly became a hit, grossing more than $177 million at the box office.

In August 2026, Variety reported that a sequel is in the works at Paramount, with Hudson attached to produce the film. Stacey Sher is also slated to produce. The project is reportedly seeking a screenwriter.

Us reached out to reps for Hudson and McConaughey for comment.

Scroll below to check in with the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days cast more than 20 years later: