M&M'S Brings Back Its Movie Spell for 'Practical Magic 2'

M&M'S is putting the "Amas Veritas" love spell back on shelves just as Practical Magic 2 heads to theaters.

The candy brand has partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures on a limited-edition Amas Veritas Spell & Snack Pack, timed to the release of the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 film.

The brand has also recruited Camilla Belle, who played a young Sally Owens in the original film, to recreate her spellcasting scene nearly 28 years later for social content.

"Playing young Sally Owens in Practical Magic is still one of the most special memories from my early career," Belle said. 

"Revisiting this beloved scene with M&M'S and giving the 'Amas Veritas' spell a sweet twist has been such a delight."

Allison Miazga-Bedrick, VP of marketing for the seasonal portfolio at Mars Snacking, said the tie-in was meant to give longtime fans a new reason to gather around the film.

"For generations, M&M'S have been a staple of Halloween celebrations and remain the perfect chocolate treat for every spooky moment throughout the season," she said.

"With Practical Magic 2 coming to theaters, we wanted to give fans a fun new way to celebrate the magic of the season and bring friends together for a movie they've been waiting for."

Notably, the pack comes as a free gift with every purchase of an M&M'S Milk Chocolate Fun Size Sharing Bag, available only at MMS.com/Practical-Magic while supplies last.

"Practical Magic 2" hits theaters on September 10. 

Set to Strike at Midnight

Each pack contains custom M&M'S candies stamped with eight symbols pulled from the original film's love charm, plus four new symbols that hint at plot details from the sequel.

The design splits the pack across two audiences.

Eight familiar callbacks for people who grew up on the first movie, four unreleased hints for people already tracking the sequel's marketing.

Fans get two chances at the pack.

The first batch drops September 3 at midnight ET, matching the film's witching-hour theme, with a second wave following September 14.

Supplies are capped at each drop, so the pack functions as two separate short windows.

Beyond the spell pack, M&M'S is running its standard Halloween lineup alongside the film tie-in.

This includes Milk Chocolate, Peanut and Peanut Butter Fun Size variety packs, and orange-and-black Halloween Blend Milk Chocolate and Peanut bags sold at retailers nationwide.

These staples keep the brand visible on shelves for shoppers who miss the online drops, while the digital campaign carries the film connection.

A Spell for Shelf Traffic

M&M'S latest efforts are driven by exclusivity, which is known to be a well-documented purchase trigger.

A YouGov survey spanning 17 markets found that food and grocery items are the product category most swayed by a "limited edition" label.

Halloween adds a second layer of urgency.

The National Retail Federation's 2025 survey found Americans spent a record $3.9 billion on Halloween candy, with per-person spending hitting an all-time high of $114.45.

On top of that, a movie partnership works in the brand's favor, with global sales of licensed merchandise and services reaching $389.8 billion in 2025, per Licensing International.

Stacking a movie release, a returning cast member, and a two-date drop schedule onto that seasonal spending spike gives the pack several separate reasons to visit MMS.com.

A brand chasing the same effect should look at three moves M&M'S made here.

• Split the reward into two windows: A single midnight drop creates one spike of attention. Two drops, spaced across the same month, give the brand a second launch moment without a second product.
• Bring back a face fans already trust: Casting Camilla Belle instead of a new spokesperson turns the campaign into continuity that longtime viewers recognize at a glance.
• Hide new information inside an old format: The four new symbols reward people who already know the original spell, giving repeat buyers something a casual shopper would miss entirely.

Brands weighing a similar movie tie-in should ask whether their limited drop gives people something to look for twice.

Our Take: What's the Product Here?

We believe what's actually for sale here is the plain Fun Size Sharing Bag sitting underneath the spell pack.

Every social post about Camilla Belle's scene, every drop-time countdown, is pointed at a candy shopper's decision that happens at checkout for a bag people were already going to buy.

The pack gives someone a reason to grab that bag today before the drop window closes, which is the whole mechanic behind seasonal candy pushes.

We'd want to see if M&M'S is tracking base-bag velocity during the two drop windows.

This number is what would dictate whether the tie-in earned new buyers or just moved existing ones earlier on the calendar.

Brands planning entertainment partnerships benefit from working with these top experiential marketing agencies that specialize in audience participation.