For Lee Pace, entering the world of Practical Magic 2 involved a situation that hardly left room for an adjustment period: lying naked on a bed, covered in prosthetic tattoos and motionless, while Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman acted alongside him. It was the first scene shot by the actor in the sequel to the 1998 film, and coincided with his first professional encounter on set with two performers Pace had admired as a viewer.
The episode, recounted by the actor to Variety, clearly illustrates his character's function in the new story. Pace plays Dr. Ian Wright, a professor connected to the study of magic whom the Owens sisters meet in England. When Sally Owens, played by Bullock, and Gillian Owens, once again portrayed by Kidman, arrive at his door, Wright is incapacitated by the effects of a curse. His immobility triggers a comedic sequence in which the two witches attempt to get him fully back in action.
It is an approach also built on physical contrast. Pace, standing around 1.96 meters tall, is presented in the film as an imposing presence, yet initially completely defenseless against the protagonists' powers. The actor approached that debut with the modesty and focus demanded by such an exposed scene, but recalled above all the instantly recognizable voices of Bullock and Kidman, heard with his eyes closed as the set took shape around him.
For a sequel that brings the Owens dynasty back to the forefront nearly three decades after the first film, the arrival of Ian Wright is not merely a comedic diversion. Once freed from the curse, the professor grows close to Sally and becomes her love interest. However, the relationship is conditioned by the most painful rule of the Practical Magic narrative universe: the men Sally loves are destined to die. The new bond thus introduces clear emotional stakes, entrusting Pace and Bullock with a romantic arc suspended between attraction and danger.
A sequel that expands the family core
The plot of Practical Magic 2 begins with a new crisis for the Owens family. Kylie, Sally's daughter played by Joey King, falls in love with Gideon, played by Xolo Maridueña. The family curse strikes this relationship as well, leaving the young man in a coma. Kylie sets out to find a cure in England, with Sally and Gillian following her; along the way, Pace's character comes into play.
The film reunites Bullock and Kidman in the roles that defined the 1998 title, while also bringing back Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest as Frances and Jet. Alongside these familiar faces, the project focuses on a younger generation and expands the story beyond its original family setting. Maisie Williams joins the cast, while Maridueña and King represent the narrative passing of the torch to the Owens descendants.
This choice is significant for the commercial positioning of a sequel arriving long after the original. The value of such an endeavor inevitably lies in immediate brand recognition, its leading actresses, and a visual aesthetic built on domestic witchcraft, rituals, and family bonds. However, sustaining a new story also requires creating relationships that aren't merely replicas of what came before. Ian Wright serves this purpose: an outsider to the family with his own magical expertise, capable of interacting with the Owens women without stealing their spotlight.
According to Empire's review, however, the very balance between the original core and the heavier romantic framework represents one of the sequel's shortcomings. The British publication acknowledges the pleasure of seeing Bullock, Kidman, Channing, and Wiest together again, as well as the meticulous aesthetics and costume design, but deems the film more conventional than the first installment. In particular, it notes a greater emphasis on heterosexual and male dynamics, in contrast to an original whose identity was deeply rooted in the bond between sisters, aunts, and daughters.
This assessment does not diminish interest in the new Bullock-Pace pairing, but helps contextualize it: the romance with Ian is not a marginal element, but rather one of the choices through which the sequel attempts to revamp an intellectual property cherished by audiences who grew up in the 1990s. It is also the ground where the film risks the sharpest comparisons with the memory of its predecessor.
For Pace, an increasingly central phase
Practical Magic 2 arrives at a time of intense activity for Lee Pace. The 47-year-old actor recently wrapped filming on the fourth season of Foundation, the Apple TV+ sci-fi saga in which he plays a series of interconnected figures of power. He is also expected to return to Middle-earth soon: he is slated to appear in The Hunt for Gollum, the Andy Serkis-directed film scheduled for 2027, reprising the role of the Elven king Thranduil, whom he previously played in The Hobbit trilogy.
His filmography explains why joining a romantic fantasy comedy is compelling. Following the recognition he gained with Pushing Daisies, Pace has alternated between theater, television series, and major franchises: he brought the villain Ronan to the screen in Guardians of the Galaxy, was among the stars of Halt and Catch Fire, and worked on Broadway in The Normal Heart and Angels in America. His career path is not that of a star built on a single formula, but rather that of an actor who has seamlessly moved from eccentric and antagonistic roles to more sentimental characters.
In the Practical Magic sequel, comedy represents a new dimension compared to the more austere or menacing image that often accompanies him. Pace himself pointed out that the opening gag works because his character’s physical stature contrasts with the absolute control the two sisters exert over what happens to him. From there, however, the role evolves toward a more understated and romantic register, with Sally as his counterpart.
For the audiovisual industry, his casting also shows how nostalgic sequels attempt to balance continuity and novelty. Bullock and Kidman remain the guarantee of recognizability for the project, but Pace brings an audience that matured across prestige TV, fantasy, and franchises. The outcome does not depend solely on the sum of its names: it will have to convince viewers that the return of the Owens sisters still has something to say, beyond the pull of a midnight margarita night and characters that have endured in the collective imagination.
Early critical reactions suggest that this transition is not resolved uniformly. Yet the film's design remains clear: restarting the curse in a different generation, expanding the journey to England, and using Ian Wright as a new nexus between comedy, magic, and desire. For Lee Pace, whose first day on set began in a decidedly vulnerable position, it is a role that adds an unexpected note to an already highly versatile career.
