It wasn't the producers who cut her out, but rather the script simply didn't include her anymore: That's how Evan Rachel Wood (38) explains her own absence from 'Practical Magic 2.' On the red carpet at the premiere of 'The Shards,' the actress spoke to 'Entertainment Tonight' about the sequel to the witch classic starring Sandra Bullock (62) and Nicole Kidman (59). "I read the book, and it seems like they're not sticking to the book," Wood said. "In the book, it would have made sense to bring me back, in my opinion. The way they're re-approaching it and going about it now, it didn't make sense."
The exclusion is clearly painful for Wood. As a child, she felt closely connected to the ensemble at the time, she said in the same conversation, and that's exactly why the missed opportunity hurts: "It's sad because we bonded so much with this cast as children. To see this cast and this house again as adults and to see the story through our eyes, that's something you can't fake." She particularly feels it's a shame for the fans that these moments won't happen now.
In 1998, Wood played Kylie Owens in the adaptation of Alice Hoffman's novel, daughter of Bullock's Sally. In terms of personality, however, the girl took much more after Kidman's impetuous Gilly than after her own mother. In the sequel, Joey King takes over the role.
She offered herself for a single scene
Wood had already made it public after the sequel was announced that the request never came. In an Instagram story, she wrote at the time: "I keep getting asked about this, so I'm just clearing it up now: I was not asked to return for the #PracticalMagic sequel. I offered my services, even if just for a scene or a line. I was told they were recasting. I'm sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my hands and was not my decision. I would have loved to rejoin my sisters."
Maisie Williams also joins as new cast
Wood isn't the only one whose character has been recast. Antonia, Bullock's other daughter, was played by Alexandra Artrip (36) in 1998. This time, 'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams (29) takes over. Hoffman's fictional world has grown significantly larger than that one bestseller from back then. The bestselling source material 'Practical Magic' became an entire series, which includes the prequels 'The Rules of Magic' (2017) and 'Magic Lessons' (2020), among others. 'The Book of Magic' serves as the basis for the new film. The theatrical release in Germany is scheduled for September 10.
