Practical Magic star Evan Rachel Wood slams cast after being excluded from movie
Evan Rachel Wood has said she wasn’t asked to return for Practical Magic 2, despite being open to reprising her role in the long-awaited sequel.
The actress, 38, played Kylie Owens in the original 1998 film when she was around 10, alongside Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, both of whom returned for the sequel which comes out next week.
Kylie Owens is Sally’s elder daughter of Sally Owens (Bullock) however in Practical Magic 2, the role is played by The Kissing Booth star Joey King.
Wood was not happy about the recasting and says no one from the original film reached out to her. The Critics’ Choice Television Award winner said only King reached out and in return, called her a ‘sweetheart’.
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In an Instagram Stories post on 1 September, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, Wood said: “I really appreciated Joey King reaching out to me because no one who worked on the original film did. She’s a sweetheart.”
Sally’s younger daughter was also recast, with Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams taking over as Antonia Owens. In the 1998 movie, the role was played by Alexandra Artip.
Back in July, Wood was asked by Entertainment Tonight about the recasting. “It is sad, because we bonded with that cast so much as children, and so to miss out on the opportunity to look at that cast and look at that house as an adult and see the history in our eyes, it’s something that can’t be faked,” she said.
“I’m sad that doesn’t get to exist, especially for the fans.”
Woods also spoke in July last year, confirming that she offered to return, even if just for a small scene, but was told that the role would be re-cast.
“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 #PracticalMagic sequel. l offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line,” she posted on her Instagram Stories, per Deadline.
She continued, “I was told they are re-casting. I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”
The sequel to the 1998 supernatural romantic drama sees Bullock and Kidman return as the Owens sisters, two witches raised by their aunts after their parents’ deaths leave them bound by a generations-old family curse.
The sisters find themselves forced to use their powers to confront the evil spirit of Gillian’s abusive boyfriend.
Set 25 years after the events in the first film, the Owens family make a shocking discovery about their family’s history and the origins of their magic.
The sequel’s director, Susanne Bier, insisted that the recasting happened for the sequel’s story to make sense due to the character’s age.
“It was not a personal thing,” she said during a red carpet interview with Variety. “The kids in the story are right out of college, so it wasn’t really a question. We had to recast.”
Practical Magic 2 will be released in cinemas on 11 September.
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity
Greg Harris