“Practical Magic” fans know that the long-awaited sequel is missing a big part of the original film: Evan Rachel Wood. According to the “Westworld” and “The Shards” star, her former collaborators didn’t bother talking to her about the follow-up.
Only Joey King, who is taking over Wood’s role as Kylie Owens in the sequel, gave her a call.
“I really appreciated Joey King reaching out to me, because no one who worked on the original film did,” Wood said in a Tuesday Instagram story. “She’s a sweetheart.”
The story was shared on Wood’s Instagram account, which is listed as private. Susanne Bier, the director of “Practical Magic 2,” said Monday at the premiere that the replacement of Wood with King was a necessity.
“It was not a personal thing. It was that the kids in the story are right out of college, and so it wasn’t really a question, you know? We had to recast,” Bier told Variety.
King takes over the role of Kylie Owens, the oldest daughter of Sandra Bullock’s character, Sally Owens, who begins developing her own magical abilities in the sequel. The follow-up comes out almost 30 years after the 1998 original, which was directed by Griffin Dunne and written by Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman and Adam Brooks. Goldsman returns for the sequel, writing alongside Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel. The original film adapted Alice Hoffman’s novel “Practical Magic,” while the follow-up adapts Hoffman’s “The Book of Magic.”
“I read the book, and it seems like they’re not following the book,” Wood said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in July for “The Shards.” “I think, in the book, it would have made sense to bring me back. I think in the way they’re approaching it, the way they’re doing it, it didn’t make sense.”
At least one member of the original “Practical Magic” cast is in Wood’s corner. Alexandra Artrip, who played Kylie’s younger sister Antonia in the original film, shared a touching post about Wood on Aug. 14, saying she’s “amazed by your bravery and I’ll always be rooting for you.” Artrip, who has retired from acting, will be replaced by Maisie Williams in the sequel.
“The only time I ‘had’ an older sister was on the set of this film for a few short weeks,” Artrip said on Instagram, sharing photos of herself with Wood. “Whether it was shooting scenes or playing or learning we spent an immense amount of time together.”
Artrip later started a campaign on Instagram to help her attend the “Practical Magic 2” premiere. It is unclear if she was invited to the event.
“Practical Magic 2” releases in theaters on Sept. 10.
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