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Nicole Kidman burst blood vessels filming one of 'Practical Magic's' most intense scenes
Producer Denise Di Novi recalled the actor's commitment to the 1998 cult classic ahead of its first-ever 4K UHD release and the upcoming sequel
- PUBLISHED: Thu 16 Jul 2026, 10:26 AM
- By:
- ANI
Nicole Kidman pushed herself so hard while filming one of Practical Magic's most emotionally demanding scenes that she "burst a few blood vessels" in her face, according to producer Denise Di Novi.
Di Novi reflected on the making of the 1998 fantasy drama in an interview with People ahead of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's first-ever 4K UHD release of Practical Magic, scheduled for August 25.
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Recalling the film's casting, Di Novi said Sandra Bullock joined the project early and also served as a producer. The team was eager to cast Kidman alongside her.
"At that time, Nicole Kidman was just finishing Eyes Wide Shut, and she hadn't done anything like this. She had done mostly darker stuff and thrillers, and we just felt like that would be a really exciting thing to see her do something like this," Di Novi told People.
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"Luckily, she agreed, and she came on."
According to Di Novi, Kidman approached every scene with remarkable intensity, particularly the sequence in which the Owens family attempts to banish the spirit of Jimmy Angelov, played by Goran Visnjic.
"I mean, probably the most difficult scene was when they were trying to vanquish Jimmy's spirit with the coven, the group of women. It was Goran Visnjic. And it was really intense for the actors in the circle of the coven and Nicole Kidman was possessed," Di Novi said.
"And she definitely throws herself into a role in every scene. It was very, very tough for her. She even kind of burst a few blood vessels in her face while she was shooting that scene. It was incredibly intense and everyone really, really threw themselves into it in a very realistic way," she added.
Looking back on the film, Di Novi praised the on-screen partnership between Bullock and Kidman, saying both have since reached "icon status."
"I think there are certain actresses that reach a level of icon status either because of the length of their career or their level of excellence. And you don't often see two of them in equal roles in the same movie," she said.
She added that everyone on set recognised the chemistry between the pair from the moment they began working together.
"You have two of the greatest, and not only the greatest, the most popular, two of the greatest, most beloved actors alive today, acting together and playing sisters, and their chemistry is so unique," Di Novi said.
The producer also shared an update on the upcoming sequel, saying the connection between Bullock and Kidman has only grown stronger over the years.
"The chemistry in the second movie is even more so than the first movie because they're bringing more of themselves to the second movie, their life experience and all the work they've done in all these years," she said.
"I just think that to see the two of them, who are so powerful in their talent and in their stature in the business, do this, what we call a two-hander together, it's just really inspiring."
Practical Magic will be released on 4K UHD for the first time on August 25. Practical Magic 2 is scheduled to arrive in theatres on September 11.