After Practical Magic’s Evan Rachel Wood was replaced by Joey King in the film’s sequel, Wood has thrown shade at the original cast and crew.
“I really appreciated Joey King reaching out to me because no one who worked on the original film did. She’s a sweetheart,” Wood, 38, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, September 1. The jab comes after Wood’s 1998 role as one of Sandra Bullock’s Sally Owens’ daughters, Kylie Owens, was recast with King, 27, replacing her in the upcoming Practical Magic 2.
King had told The Hollywood Reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of Practical Magic 2 on Monday, August 31, that she’d shared a “lovely” conversation with Wood in light of the casting switch-up.
“I just was so appreciative of the support that she showed to me and to the rest of the cast. She is so talented and so beautiful and she made this role so special when she was a young girl,” King told the outlet. “I feel so grateful to be able to play Kylie at this age but I love Evan so much and I’m so appreciative of her kind words and the exchange that her and I shared.”
Wood revealed in July 2025 that she wouldn’t be returning for the sequel amid confirmed reappearances from the film’s leads, Bullock, 62, and Nicole Kidman.
Sharing the news via her Instagram Stories at the time, Wood wrote, “I am getting asked about this a lot, so l’ll just clear it up now; I was not asked to come back and be in the Practical Magic sequel. l offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line. I was told they are recasting. I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”
In July, Wood expanded her take on the casting redirection during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “I read the book and it seems like they’re not following the book,” Wood told the outlet earlier this year. “I think in the book it would have made sense to bring me back; I think in the way they’re redoing it and approaching it, it didn’t make sense.”
Wood’s Practical Magic costar, Alexandra Artrip, was also omitted from the sequel with Maisie Williams replacing her as Kylie’s sister, Antonia Owens.
The sequel’s director, Susanne Bier, told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday that a recasting was necessary due to creating a “certain age group” in the sequel. She told the outlet, “In the story, they’re just, like, literally out of college, and with Joey and Maisie it just felt completely right.”
Joining Bullock and Kidman, 59, in reprising their original roles, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are back as the witchy aunts of the leads’ sibling characters.
