Evan Rachel Wood Says Only Joey King Reached Out About ‘Practical Magic 2’
Evan Rachel Wood says Joey King was the only person from the original Practical Magic team to contact her about the highly anticipated sequel.
Wood, who played Kylie Owens in the 1998 classic, revealed on Instagram that she appreciated King reaching out after taking over the role for Practical Magic 2.
“I really appreciated Joey King reaching out to me, because no one who worked on the original film did,” Wood wrote in an Instagram Story. “She’s a sweetheart.”
King will portray Kylie in the sequel, replacing Wood as the character returns as the eldest daughter of Sandra Bullock’s Sally Owens. In the new film, Kylie begins discovering her own magical abilities.
Director Susanne Bier recently explained that Wood’s recasting was not personal, saying the characters are now portrayed as young adults and the production needed to recast them.
“It was not a personal thing,” Bier said at the premiere. “We had to recast.”
Wood previously addressed her absence from the sequel in an interview, saying she had read Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic, which serves as the basis for the new movie. She suggested that the story’s approach made her return unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Wood has received support from another former castmate. Alexandra Artrip, who played Kylie’s younger sister Antonia in the original, shared an emotional tribute to Wood on Instagram.
Artrip said she was “amazed by your bravery” and would “always be rooting for you,” while recalling the close bond they formed while filming the original movie.
Artrip has since retired from acting and will also be replaced in the sequel, with Maisie Williams taking over the role of Antonia.
Practical Magic 2 arrives nearly three decades after the original film, bringing a new generation of Owens women into the story.