Original 'Practical Magic' Star Urges Fans to Support Sequel After Recasting

Alexandra Artrip is calling on audiences to drop boycott threats against the upcoming Practical Magic sequel after producers opted to recast the younger generation of the Owens family.

In the original 1998 fantasy film, Artrip and Evan Rachel Wood portrayed the young daughters of Sandra Bullock's character, Antonia and Kylie Owens. For the planned follow-up, production selected Joey King and Maisie Williams to take over the respective roles, sparking pushback among loyal followers of the cult classic.

Addressing the online controversy directly in an Instagram video reported by TheWrap, the former child actress, who retired from the screen after the 1998 release, sought to calm frustrated fans.

"I see a lot of content going around about the sequel and I think the sentiment is right," Artrip said in the video, per TheWrap. "You know, people are trying to show support for Evan and myself and the original film and everything that it’s meant to so many people but I just don’t want my stuff to be a space for negativity."

Artrip voiced full confidence in King and Williams, describing them as "lovely actresses" and noting that production leadership "did what they felt was best for the film to be successful." She encouraged audiences to give the sequel a fair shot, pointing out that new extensions of the property planned for 2026 cannot diminish the legacy of the original feature.

Legacy revivals routinely face friction when studios choose bankable contemporary names over original performers to anchor multi-generational IP. For Warner Bros., recruiting established young stars like King and Williams offers a clear strategy to broaden commercial appeal while banking on the enduring affection of the millennial fanbase.