Lee Pace news
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The gist
Lee Pace stars in "Practical Magic 2" as professor Ian Wright, alongside Nicole Kidman and Sandra.
Reviews are mixed, and critics singled out his English accent.
Background
Lee Pace, 47, has built a career playing villains and mythical figures, from a vampire in "Twilight" to an elvenking in "The Hobbit." He now appears in "Practical Magic 2," the Susanne Bier-directed sequel to the 1998 film, as Ian Wright, a professor of the dark arts and potential love interest for Sandra Bullock's character. The sequel sees the Owens clan head to the U.K. to try to break the family's love curse, with Joey King, Maisie Williams and Xolo Maridueña also joining the cast. Pace has been doing press for the film, including a WSJ interview about his coffee habit and a TODAY segment where he called joining the cast "a privilege."
How it unfolded
- Sep 6, 2026WSJ publishes a "My Monday Morning" video interview in which Pace discusses his coffee habit, his belief in witches and his farm upstate.
- Sep 7, 2026WSJ runs a style piece on Pace's coffee consumption, quoting him on filming his first "Practical Magic 2" scene lying unclothed and unconscious under a spell.
- Sep 8, 2026The Hollywood Reporter and 13th Floor publish reviews of "Practical Magic 2," both noting Pace's role; 13th Floor criticizes his English accent.
- Sep 10, 2026WBUR publishes a negative review, describing Pace's character as dumping exposition while Bullock's character rejects his romantic advances.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- The Hollywood Reporter says Bullock and Kidman still charm but calls the sequel "slapdash."
- Caution
- WBUR writes that the sequel "steers away from everything enjoyable about the first film."
- Expert
- 13th Floor's reviewer says the film "still charms in parts" but is "more mundane than magical," and that Pace's English accent "needs some work."