The North American box office has a new champion.
After spending six consecutive weekends at No. 1, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is finally being pushed from the top spot, with Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated Practical Magic 2 taking control of the weekend race.
The supernatural comedy-drama, starring original leads Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, opened Friday with approximately $13 million from 4,146 theaters across North America. Based on its opening-day performance, the long-awaited sequel is projected to finish the weekend with roughly $30 million.
The result represents an impressive opening for a franchise whose original movie struggled commercially when it debuted in 1998 but eventually developed an enormous cult following.
For Warner Bros., the performance demonstrates the potential of reviving recognizable properties with established stars and a loyal audience.
For moviegoers, meanwhile, the weekend marks a significant change at the top of the domestic box office, ending one of the longest recent winning streaks for a superhero movie.
Practical Magic 2 Takes the No. 1 Spot
Practical Magic 2 immediately established itself as the movie to beat when it opened Friday.
The sequel generated around $13 million during its first day, putting it comfortably ahead of the other major releases competing for the weekend.
If its current projections hold, the movie should finish Sunday with approximately $30 million domestically.
That would give the film a clear first-place debut and end Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s six-week run at the top.
The opening is especially interesting because the original Practical Magic was not considered a major box-office success when it arrived in theaters.
Released in 1998, the first film opened with only about $13 million despite having a reported production budget of approximately $75 million.
Its worldwide theatrical run eventually reached around $94 million.
At the time, those numbers did not make it a blockbuster.
But the movie’s story did not end when it left theaters.
How Practical Magic Became a Cult Classic
The original Practical Magic developed a much stronger reputation after its theatrical run.
Home-video audiences discovered the story of Sally and Gillian Owens, two sisters born into a family with a supernatural legacy and a devastating curse.
The sisters were witches, but the film was not simply a traditional fantasy adventure.
At its center was a story about family, love, grief and the consequences of a curse that had affected generations of women in the Owens family.
The movie combined romance, comedy and supernatural elements while giving Bullock and Kidman the opportunity to play sisters with very different personalities.
Over the years, the film gained a devoted fan base.
Its popularity continued to grow through television broadcasts, home entertainment and later streaming availability.
That cult following eventually created the demand for a sequel.
More than two decades after the original film, Practical Magic 2 arrives with the benefit of nostalgia that the first movie did not have when it was initially released.
A New Generation Faces the Owens Family Curse
The sequel moves the story forward by approximately 25 years.
Rather than simply repeating the story of Sally and Gillian, the new movie shifts attention toward the next generation.
Sally’s daughters are now dealing with the consequences of their family’s supernatural history.
That setup gives the sequel a chance to explore how the Owens legacy has changed over time.
At the same time, the return of Bullock and Kidman provides a direct connection to the original movie.
The sequel also brings back Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, further strengthening its connection to the 1998 film.
The new cast includes Maisie Williams, Joey King, Xolo Maridueña and Lee Pace.
The combination of returning stars and younger performers could help Practical Magic 2 appeal to two different generations of viewers.
Older fans have the nostalgia factor, while younger audiences may be discovering the Owens family for the first time.
Spider-Man’s Six-Week Box Office Streak Comes to an End
Although Practical Magic 2 is taking the top position, Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains one of the biggest stories of the weekend.
The Sony-Marvel blockbuster is entering its seventh weekend in North American theaters.
It earned approximately $2 million on Friday and is projected to generate another $8.5 million through Sunday.
That would bring its domestic total to roughly $935.27 million.
The movie’s extraordinary run has made it one of the year’s biggest theatrical successes.
After six straight weekends at No. 1, however, it is finally dropping to fourth place.
Despite the ranking change, the film remains extremely close to a major box-office milestone.
Spider-Man Is About to Break a Major Domestic Record
The biggest question surrounding Spider-Man: Brand New Day is no longer whether it will remain No. 1.
Instead, it is whether the movie can cross one of the most recognizable domestic box-office milestones.
The film is approaching the $936.6 million mark.
That is the domestic total it needs to surpass the record currently associated with 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
If Spider-Man: Brand New Day crosses that figure, it would establish itself as one of the strongest domestic theatrical performers in history.
The fact that the movie is approaching that milestone during its seventh weekend makes the achievement even more notable.
Its long run demonstrates the ability of a major superhero franchise to continue attracting audiences well after its opening weeks.
The Odyssey Continues Its Strong Theatrical Run
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey remains another major force at the domestic box office.
The historical epic earned approximately $2.06 million on Friday and is projected to add another $8.1 million by Sunday.
After nine weekends in theaters, the film is expected to reach around $601 million domestically.
That kind of sustained performance is particularly impressive for a large-scale historical epic.
Rather than depending entirely on a massive opening weekend, The Odyssey has continued to attract audiences over an extended theatrical run.
Its performance also demonstrates the strength of event-style cinema.
Large-format filmmaking, major stars and an acclaimed director can encourage audiences to continue choosing theaters even as newer movies arrive.
Runner Takes Second Place
While Practical Magic 2 dominates the weekend, Angel Studios’ Runner is putting together a solid performance in second place.
The action film earned an estimated $2.5 million Friday from approximately 2,568 locations.
Current projections suggest it could collect around $6 million by Sunday.
The movie stars Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson.
Its story follows a soldier and a partner who is considerably less prepared for combat as they attempt to escape from a cartel.
Rodrigo Santoro, Leila George and Kate Box are also part of the cast.
The film occupies a very different genre space from Practical Magic 2, giving audiences another option for weekend entertainment.
The Uprising Struggles Against the Competition
Not every new release had the same kind of weekend.
Focus Features’ The Uprising opened Friday in ninth place, earning approximately $1.38 million from 2,068 theaters.
The historical drama is projected to finish its opening weekend with around $3.1 million.
The film comes from writer-director Paul Greengrass and is set in the 14th century.
Andrew Garfield stars as a ploughman who becomes involved in a common-man uprising against King Richard II.
Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Woody Norman and Katherine Waterston also appear.
Although the movie has an ambitious historical premise and an established cast, its opening performance suggests that it faces a difficult theatrical run.
Its release also illustrates how challenging the box office can be for adult-oriented historical dramas when they arrive alongside major franchise films and highly anticipated sequels.
Coyote vs. Acme Continues Its Theatrical Journey
Another film remaining in the top five is Coyote vs. Acme, distributed by Ketchup Entertainment.
The Looney Tunes comedy earned approximately $1.4 million on Friday.
By Sunday, it is expected to add around $6.3 million, bringing its domestic total to approximately $47.8 million after three weekends.
The film’s theatrical journey has been unusually notable because of its complicated history before reaching audiences.
After being shelved by its original studio, the movie eventually found a theatrical release through another distributor.
Its continued box-office performance therefore represents a significant achievement for a film that faced considerable uncertainty before audiences finally had the opportunity to see it.
What the Weekend Box Office Says About Moviegoers
The weekend results reveal an interesting balance between nostalgia, established franchises and original theatrical concepts.
Practical Magic 2 is benefiting from a movie that originally struggled commercially but became significantly more popular over time.
That transformation demonstrates the power of cult followings.
A movie does not always have to be a huge theatrical success to build a lasting audience.
In the case of Practical Magic, years of exposure allowed its fan base to grow.
Now that audience has the opportunity to see Bullock and Kidman return to the world of the Owens family.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues demonstrating the extraordinary staying power of major superhero properties.
Its fall from first place does not diminish its performance.
Six consecutive weekends at No. 1 is an impressive achievement, and its approaching domestic record provides another reason for audiences to continue watching its box-office progress.
Practical Magic 2 Could Have a Long Run Ahead
The biggest question now is whether Practical Magic 2 can maintain its momentum after opening weekend.
A $30 million opening would give the film a strong foundation.
The next few weekends will reveal whether the sequel is primarily benefiting from opening-weekend nostalgia or whether it has enough appeal to bring audiences back repeatedly.
The return of Bullock and Kidman is likely to be one of its biggest advantages.
Their presence connects the sequel directly to the original movie, while the younger cast gives the story a chance to move forward.
If positive word of mouth develops, the movie could potentially continue attracting audiences beyond its opening weekend.
A New Box Office Leader Has Arrived
The domestic box office has officially entered a new phase.
After six weeks of dominance, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is no longer the weekend’s No. 1 movie.
Instead, Practical Magic 2 has stepped into first place with an estimated $13 million Friday and a projected $30 million three-day weekend.
The sequel’s success is especially satisfying given the unusual history of the original.
A movie that initially struggled at the box office eventually became a cult favorite, creating enough affection for its characters that audiences are now returning more than two decades later.
At the same time, Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues its impressive run and could soon surpass the domestic total associated with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The Odyssey remains a powerful theatrical performer, Runner is enjoying a respectable second-place position, and Coyote vs. Acme continues building its audience despite its complicated journey to theaters.
The weekend therefore offers a little bit of everything: nostalgia, superheroes, historical drama, action and animated comedy.
Final Thoughts
Practical Magic 2 has successfully broken Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s six-week reign at the top of the North American box office.
Its estimated $30 million opening weekend gives Warner Bros. a promising start and demonstrates just how powerful nostalgia can become when a beloved movie develops a passionate following over time.
For Spider-Man: Brand New Day, however, fourth place does not mean the end of its box-office story.
The movie is still within striking distance of the $936.6 million domestic benchmark and could soon make another piece of box-office history.
Meanwhile, The Odyssey, Runner, The Uprising and Coyote vs. Acme round out a diverse theatrical marketplace.
The next few weekends should reveal whether Practical Magic 2 can maintain its magical hold on audiences — or whether another challenger will quickly take the crown.