Hollywood has a casting problem that refuses to disappear, and Practical Magic 2 may have just put it under the spotlight again.
In the much-anticipated sequel to the 1998 cult classic, Sandra Bullock returns as Sally Owens, but the film’s recent European premiere has brought renewed scrutiny to one major recasting.
Joey King has taken over a role previously played by Evan Rachel Wood, prompting some fans to question Hollywood’s treatment of older actresses and reigniting a heated debate about ageism on social media.
“I think it’s deeply pathetic and hypocritical,” one X user wrote.
Sandra Bullock’s Practical Magic 2 draws backlash over Evan Rachel Wood’s absence
On August 26, the cast of Practical Magic 2 gathered for the film’s European premiere at London’s Odeon Luxe Leicester Square.
At the event, Bullock was joined by her co-stars Joey King and Maisie Williams, who play her daughters in the sequel. King, 27, walked the red carpet in a sheer butter-yellow dress that quickly drew attention online.
Beyond her racy fashion choice, the actress also sparked a major casting debate by replacing Evan Rachel Wood from the original film.
Wood, who turns 39 next month, was only 10 when she played Kylie Owens, Bullock’s eldest daughter, in the cult classic.
She wasn’t asked to return for the sequel, leading some fans on X to speculate that her age played a role in the recasting.
“I think it’s deeply pathetic and hypocritical that they retconned the ages of Kylie and Antonia for this sequel.
“Why can’t Sandra Bullock’s character have daughters in their late 30s? That’s how old the characters actually would be! Why is that a problem?” one user said.
Fans question Sandra Bullock’s role in Practical Magic 2 recasting controversy
In the original film, based on Alice Hoffman’s novel, Sally’s daughters Kylie (Wood) and Antonia (Alexandra Artrip) were portrayed as children. The sequel ages both characters into adulthood, with Maisie Williams taking over the role of Antonia.
Several users agreed with the criticism, calling Bullock “vain” and questioning why she couldn’t play a character old enough to have a 30-year-old daughter.
Others accused Bullock, a producer on the sequel, of perpetuating ageism, particularly after she previously criticized the problem in Hollywood.
In a 2015 interview with E! News, she criticized Hollywood for how it treats women as they age.
“I’m shocked, and maybe I was just naïve, but I’m embarrassed by it,” she said.
The same X user added, “I think it’s really lame for women who know well how it is to age in Hollywood to pull sh*t like this.”
“The retcon makes it all the more noticeable. The very thing they were trying to dodge is now a glaring issue we can all see,” another user wrote.
Despite the backlash, some fans defended the decision to recast Sally’s daughters. The sequel is based on Hoffman’s follow-up novel, which portrays the girls as young adults, giving those fans a reason to support the recasting.
Evan Rachel Wood opens up about being left out of Practical Magic 2
In June 2025, Wood addressed her absence from the sequel in an Instagram post, revealing that she had not been asked to reprise her role. Her statement came a month after reports first emerged that King was in talks to take over Wood’s role.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight last month, Wood said she was “sad” to “miss out” on the sequel, particularly because of the bond she formed with the cast as a child.
The Westworld star explained that she had read Hoffman’s follow-up novel and felt the story could have allowed her to reprise her role as Kylie. However, she suggested the sequel did not follow the source material as closely.
“I think in the book it would have made sense to bring me back,” she told the outlet, adding that it “didn’t make sense” for her to return given how the creative team was “approaching it.”
Although she won’t return for the sequel, Wood said she has fond memories of the original and wished the new cast nothing but the best.
Practical Magic 2 is scheduled to release on September 11, 2026.
“Opposite of what these films stand for”: Fans react to Evan Rachel Wood’s absence in Practical Magic 2
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