‘Practical Magic 2’ conjures a No. 1 box office debut with $30 million

LOS ANGELES — “Practical Magic 2” conjured a box-office victory this weekend, opening atop the North American charts nearly three decades after its predecessor grew from a modest theatrical performer into a cult favorite.

The Warner Bros. sequel starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman earned an estimated $30 million from 4,146 theaters, according to estimates Sunday from Rentrak. The film knocked “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” out of the top spot after the superhero blockbuster led the domestic box office for six consecutive weekends.

“Practical Magic 2” added about $16 million from 77 international markets, giving it a worldwide opening of approximately $46 million.

The debut landed at the low end of Warner Bros.’ projected range of $30 million to $35 million. The Susanne Bier-directed film carries a reported $75 million production budget.

“It’s the kind of movie that you can build an evening at the movie theater around with your friends,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Rentrak.

Dergarabedian said the return of Bullock and Kidman was crucial to rekindling interest after such a long gap between films. He said the bigger test will come next weekend, when the sequel faces little direct competition.

“It’s not necessarily about…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business