Sandra Bullock managed to hide two people inside Practical Magic 2 who have a better chance than most of recognizing what she was up to.
Her children, Louis and Laila, both appear in the long-awaited sequel, Bullock revealed at the movie’s Los Angeles premiere on Aug. 31. “They’re in the movie, but not in an obvious way to you,” she told Access Hollywood.
There is another layer to the surprise. Louis, 16, and Laila, 12, apparently do not know where their cameos ended up in the finished film. Bullock said she cannot wait to point the moments out to them herself. The two attended the premiere with friends but stayed away from the red carpet.
Bullock called herself “unbelievably proud” of both children and said becoming a mother eventually reversed the direction of influence in their family. She described Louis as her “steadfast moral barometer” and Laila as the one who tends to spot things and think ahead.
Even Louis and Laila Don’t Know Where Their Cameos Are
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Bullock gave away almost nothing about what audiences should look for.The secrecy extends to Louis and Laila themselves. “I can’t wait to sort of show them where it is,” Bullock said. “They don’t know where it is.”
She also explained how differently the two influence her now. Louis is the person she mentally consults when weighing right and wrong, “What would Louis do?”, while Laila is particularly good at anticipating what comes next. Bullock described them as very different people who nevertheless give her “two halves of a whole.”
Her Kids Helped Determine When Bullock Could Make the Sequel
The surprise appearances fit into a production Bullock had already arranged partly around her responsibilities as a mother. During an April CNBC Changemakers appearance, she said Practical Magic 2 became workable because filming coincided with Louis and Laila being out of school.
“I’m not going to sacrifice my time with my kids,” Bullock said, according to E! News. She explained that she does not do her best work when her children are struggling or need something she cannot help facilitate.
Bullock also told PEOPLE during the London premiere that she recognized herself in Sally Owens’ instinct to protect her children. She acknowledged that her own impulse is to shield Louis and Laila from painful experiences even while knowing that parents cannot remove every difficult part of growing up.
‘Practical Magic 2’ Already Centers the Next Owens Generation
The sequel brings Bullock back as Sally Owens and Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens nearly three decades after the 1998 film. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest also return, while King, Williams, Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod join the cast.
King’s Kylie and Williams’ Antonia are now adults, shifting part of the story toward another generation of the Owens family. The pair have described their characters’ coming-of-age stories as echoing aspects of Sally and Gillian’s own journeys.
Susanne Bier directs from a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, with Bullock and Kidman among the producers. The movie’s official site says the Owens sisters must again confront the family’s dark ancestral curse as it threatens the next generation.
The site’s current release information lists Practical Magic 2 for North American theaters on Sept. 10, with the international rollout beginning Sept. 9.
Bullock Has Let Fans See a Little More of Her Family This Year
The hidden cameos arrive during a year in which Bullock has offered a few more glimpses of a family life she normally keeps private. At the Aug. 26 London premiere, her strapless Givenchy dress revealed a small “LB²” tattoo on her left shoulder that PEOPLE confirmed honors Louis and Laila.
On Mother’s Day, she shared a rare Instagram carousel that included a throwback photograph of herself holding both children when they were younger. The post also honored her late mother, Helga Meyer, and included family photographs spanning multiple generations.
Bullock followed that in August with another unusually personal photo dump. Among the images was a current shot of Louis and Laila white-water rafting, along with family photographs, friends and a behind-the-scenes image of Bullock with her onscreen daughter Joey King.