HBO Says ‘Gay Rights,’ Orders ‘Practical Magic’ Prequel

Throw on a flowy skirt and get ready for midnight margaritas!

Time to whip up some midnight margaritas, ladies! HBO has ordered a pilot for a Practical Magic prequel series. Break out your best floaty skirt, crank up the Stevie Nicks, and start blowing on a candle.

Intended for new streaming service HBO Max, Rules of Magic is set decades before the beloved 90s supernatural romance and family drama, which starred Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as spell-casting sisters. Rules of Magic will follow the magical aunts played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, who tutored Kidman and Bullock in magic and warned them against falling in love. TV Line reports the new series will be an “‘epic, generational family drama’ set in 1960s New York City” [in] which three siblings — Franny, Jet and Vincent Owens — wrestle with ‘abnormalities’ that have kept them isolated.” 

“Descended from a bloodline of witches, the three will deal with grief, war, bigotry and dark magic, not to mention a centuries-old curse designed to keep them away from love,” the publication claims.“The two sisters, Franny and Jet, become the revered and sometimes feared aunts in the Alice Hoffman novel Practical Magic, while their beloved brother, Vincent, will leave an unexpected legacy.”

The pilot is being executive produced by Melissa Rosenberg, who helmed Jessica Jones at Netflix until it was cancelled. Rosenberg is a great choice, as Jessica Jones’ first season was praised for its exploration of female trauma — remember, the main plot of Practical Magic is about sister witches who murder a domestic abuser.

IsPractical Magic a perfect film that blends the 90s dual obsessions with witchy aesthetics and plucky feminist spunk that absolutely stands on its own with no need to reboot or revisit? Yes. Will I be watching an HBO series about witches set in 60s Manhattan that’s guaranteed to be full of plucky dialogue and gorgeous period looks, like Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with curses? What do you think?

Two requests: We need a Stevie Nicks theme song — Nicks re-recorded “Crystal” and wrote “If You Ever Did Believe” for the Practical Magic soundtrack — and a guest appearance by Margo Martindale. Or honestly, make her a series regular!

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HBO Says ‘Gay Rights,’ Orders Practical Magic Prequel

HBO Says ‘Gay Rights,’ Orders Practical Magic Prequel