A sequel is in the works for the most famous movie ever filmed on Whidbey Island, but whether filmmakers will return to the island may depend on luck, or perhaps a little witchcraft.
The filming of “Practical Magic” brought Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Aiden Quinn and an entire film crew to Coupeville for a few exciting weeks in the summer of 1998. Front Street was transformed — with all the buildings painted white and a farmers market added — to resemble a quaint Cape Cod town.
Several locals had small parts in the movie about the Owens sisters, a pair of witches who are dealing with a curse that kills the men they fall in love with. In recent years, the town has had special screenings and Halloween events in honor of the movie.
Plans for “Practical Magic 2” were announced this week by People magazine and several trade periodicals. Both Bullock and Kidman agreed to reprise their roles and have signed on as producers.
Sherrye Wyatt, the rural economic development manager at Washington Filmworks, said it’s too early to tell where the new film might be filmed. The script, which is being written by “A Beautiful Mind” screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, hasn’t been complete, Wyatt pointed out.
“We are always tracking projects and looking to bring them to Washington,” she wrote in an email.
Nancy Conard, who was mayor when the movie was filmed, said the production divided the community a bit. Some Front Street merchants weren’t thrilled that the filming disrupted the busy summer tourism season. Front Street was closed and onlookers were shushed during part of the shoot.
On the other hand, some merchants were pleased that they got a free paint job out of the deal.
Conard said she remembered afterward that a committee was formed to consider future ground rules regarding filming in town, but she doesn’t remember that any type of resolution was passed. Since then, several commercials and a small movie have been filmed in Coupeville and the area.
Mayor Molly Hughes said the prospects of Practical Magic filmmakers returning is exciting but that she’s aware that some people have have concerns, depending on the details. Whether to welcome a major movie production to town would be a community decision, she said.
