Premiere ‘misery’, ‘out of sync’ reactions & what happened on set… Why Sandra & Nicole’s pals act is a load of Bullocks

They have known each other for 30 years, after playing sisters in 1998 hit film Practical Magic. So when Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock — who both have two adopted children and both recently suffered the loss of two life-defining relationships — reunited for the London premiere of Practical Magic 2, the awkwardness between them was striking. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman looking awkward at London premiere last week Credit: lounisphotography / SplashNews.com Nicole and Sandra in the first Practical Magic film Credit: Alamy As Nicole, 59, affectionately hugged Sandra, held her hand and pulled her waist into hers, her co-star appeared uncomfortable and seemed to be trying to create distance between them. Fans who captured images of Sandra, 62, looking stony-faced on the blue carpet last week commented that she seemed miserable. And while the pair seemed physically glued together again at the Los Angeles premiere this week, Sandra’s discomfort remained clear. She smiled and held Nicole’s hand for the camera, but video clips show her appearing pained, pushing her hair away irritably and almost clashing heads with her co-star after she tried to whisper in her ear. Onlookers said of the Oscar-winning actresses’ display: “Nicole was so over the top, and Sandra looked painfully awkward. “It was obvious they are not as comfortable with each other as they hoped to look.” ‘Not playing ball’ Body language expert Judi James told how the two women seemed to be putting on a “mature version” of the tactile displays shown by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo on their Wicked promotional tour — but appeared “out of sync”. Judi said: “There is something very stilted about their behaviour towards each other. Sandra is less keen on face contact in London last week, as the pair strike an awkward pose Credit: Getty Nicole and Sandra have been gushing over their reunion despite only meeting in person once since the first film Credit: Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pi “Nicole seems to be trying to put on an act of friendship, but Sandra is not playing ball.” In the build-up to the release of the sequel — which is set 25 years after the original movie and sees the sisters try to break a centuries-old love curse — the actresses have put their best foot forward when it comes to gushing praise, despite only meeting in person once since the release of the first film. In a glossy interview with Vogue, Nicole, who was speaking about looking forward to the future after her January divorce from country singer Keith Urban, described working with Sandra as “joyful”. In a separate interview this year, she added: “I adore her, and she’s just so funny and lovable. “We’re just having the best time together.” But it is understood that behind the scenes their friendship soured during filming amid a series of clashes. An unbroadcast interview Sandra recorded earlier this year paints a much less flattering picture, hinting at arguments that had to be uneasily resolved for the good of the rest of the cast and crew. And tellingly she revealed: “She and I are very different, but boy, do we need each other to tell this story.” Sandra took a four-year break from acting when her partner, Bryan Randall, became ill before dying in 2023 Credit: Alamy Nicole has hailed working with Sandra as ‘joyful’ following her divorce from Keith Urban Credit: Getty Speaking to interviewer Julia Boorstin at the CNBC Changemakers Summit, she said: “We are like two planes that both need to land and want to land on the same runway. And one might be going faster than the other. “And whoever is fastest out of the gate, the other one has to put on the brakes. And you just have to stagger. “And there’s . . . if you can put ego aside and understand that for the film, what is the best thing for storytelling . . . it’s not just us, Nic and I. “It is an entire crew of craftsmen . . . It’s the hardworking people who are still there after we have gone home, that we knew how to stagger our approaches. “And, boy, are we good at making a mess when we do Press. And that’s entertaining.” Entertaining it might be, but convincing it certainly is not. Speaking about their body language at the premieres, Judi went on: “Their behaviour is very awkward. Even when they link arms, there is a real body distance between them. “Sandra is trying to look fierce and confident, while Nicole is playing a more vulnerable, girly role. The original Practical Magic premiered in 1998 Credit: Getty The pair are reprising their roles as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens Credit: AP “But at least twice, Sandra seems to duck away from her, she replaces her hand. And when Nicole tries to lean in for a whisper, in an apparent display of closeness, she gets a negative reaction from Sandra. “It’s not synchronised in the way that you’d expect people to be when they are promoting a movie.” The spell-casting sequel marked a much-anticipated return to Hollywood for Sandra, who took a four-year break when her partner, Bryan Randall, became ill before dying in 2023. And the actress, who was involved in producing both Practical Magic movies, is incredibly invested in the success of the film. She spoke to Warner Bros co-chair Pamela Abdy at least three times a day during filming, spending hours agonising about the decisions being made and “unravelling” any problems that had cropped up. ‘Cosy shots’ The situation is said to have caused added tension with Nicole, who is also listed as a producer on the project but was not included in their conversations and was, at times, overruled. In a mark of their closeness, Pamela publicly thanked Sandra for “one of the most rewarding partnerships I have had in my career”. It was Pamela who persuaded social media-shy Sandra to join Instagram earlier this year — a move which attracted a massive 4.3million followers in just 24 hours. That has since risen to 6.3million. She has since admitted she only agreed to join the site on the understanding it would help Practical Magic 2 commercially. And to date, 14 of her 19 posted images are connected to the movie, which is due for release on September 11. In one clip, Sandra posted a reel of cosy shots with Nicole — both from filming the show and off duty at a concert — writing in the caption: “Happy birthday to my witchy sister. Call it magic when I’m with you.” But she made it crystal clear she will not be joining Nicole in using the site to promote other commercial partnerships, such as the deal the Australian actress signed last year to become the global face of beauty brand Cle de Peau Beaute. Telling interviewer Julia about her decision to go online, Sandra said: “I’m excited to see how I can contribute. “And if it works after the film is over, maybe I will do a make-up line” . . . before adding dryly: “So not happening.”