‘Practical Magic’ Is Getting A Prequel Series So Start Prepping Those Midnight Margaritas

It's been two whole decades since Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock bewitched us in the '90s rom com Practical Magic (feel old yet?), but HBO Max has just announced they'll be conjuring up the Owens family once more for a prequel series and it's possibly the best news we've had all year.

Rules of Magic and Practical Magic are both based on novels by Alice Hoffman, and as movie aficionados well know, a Halloween viewing of the original film was a rite of passage for anyone who grew up in the 1990s.

Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Aidan Quinn and a very young Evan Rachel Wood starred alongside Nicole and Sandra, and the film followed the story of the Owens family women whose magic powers meant they could cast all kinds of awesome spells but were also help captive by a generations-long love curse.

From midnight margaritas to dead then not dead (then dead again) evil ex-boyfriends, the cult classic taught us all about the importance of family, the danger of abusive men and the power of women banding together to cast them out.

HBO Max, which is expected to launch in spring of 2020, has ordered an hour-long pilot of the prequel series which will be written by Jessica Jones' Melissa Rosenberg and Dana Baratta.

It will focus on the Owens kids - Frances (aka Franny), Bridget (aka Jet) and Vincent - three children living in the 1960s New York City who struggle to cope with their magical abilities until they visit their Aunt Isabelle.

Staunch fans will recognise Franny and Jet as Aunt Frances and Aunt Bridget from the original 1998 film, and will now be able to watch as they come into their own powers, just like Sally and Gillian after them.

The streaming service has also given pilot orders to a half-hour drama-comedy Generation and the hour-long drama Red Bird Lane, the former of which follows a group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality tests deeply held beliefs about life, love and family.

The latter, on the other hand, is a morality and psychological horror series about eight strangers in an isolated house.

That's Halloween 2020 sorted then!

Featured Image Credit: Village Roadshow Pictures/Warner Bros

Topics: HBO, TV News, TV Entertainment

Naomi Chadderton

Naomi is a freelance journalist working for Tyla. After graduating from The University of Nottingham, Naomi moved out to Dubai where she worked for Grazia Middle East and Harper's Bazaar Arabia. She is now back home and enjoying the London life.