Who would have thought that the “Now You See Me” franchise would spur some of the biggest names in indie film? Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg and Sundance darling Dave Franco both return for third film “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” along with their fellow Four Horsemen magicians Woody Harrelson and Isla Fisher.
And there’s a new generation of indie stars joining the big Lionsgate franchise: Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt, who were also all in person to stage a visual “heist” in the heart of Times Square to promote the trailer. Lionsgate gave away $250,000 in digital payments to fans that texted or called a mysterious phone number that was on a billboard.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” also stars Rosamund Pike and Morgan Freeman. The film is directed by Ruben Fleischer with a script by Seth Grahame-Smith, Michael Lesslie, Paul Wernick, and Rhett Reese. Eric Warren Singer is credited with the story; the feature includes characters created by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt. Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Bobby Cohen produce.
The elusive synopsis reads: “The Four Horsemen return along with a new generation of illusionists performing mind-melding twists, turns, surprises, and magic unlike anything ever captured on film.”
The “Now You See Me” franchise began in 2013 with Louis Leterrier’s film and continued with 2016’s “Now You See Me 2.” David Copperfield co-produced the sequel, which was directed by John M. Chu. Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe, Melanie Laurent, Michael Caine, Common, and Mark Ruffalo have starred in the franchise installments alongside the lead Horsemen.
Eisenberg told IndieWire in 2016 that the “Now You See Me” sequel was ripe for a franchise. “It seemed like a good opportunity to make another one,” he said. “There is a great ensemble of actors, it’s a storyline that doesn’t feel finite, it’s a world that feels worthy of extension and a topic that seems fresh enough to continue, so this seems like a good one. The decision is probably based on the demand for it rather than our Machiavellian intentions. […] My only opinion is that I’d rather be in a good movie that’s a sequel than a less-good movie that’s original.”
The third film is being released a decade after the sequel.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” premieres November 14 in theaters. Check out the trailer below.
