As writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are slightly fond of high concepts. The snappy logline and OTT plotline are like crack to the men who have helped bring us Transformers, Mission: Impossible III and Star Trek, among other things. As producers, they’re keeping on feeding that addiction, setting up a spec script thriller called Now You See Me, written by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt, at Summit.
How high, you ask? Get this: the plot finds a top FBI team hunting down a crafty bank robbery team. Who are comprised of the world’s greatest illusionists. Who pull off the heists during their act, but get away with it through trickery. Oh, and by spreading the wealth and sharing their ill-gotten gains with their audiences. That really is the plot.
Now we know why David Blaine looks so smug all the time! Aside from, you know, just being naturally smug.
Yakin is an old hand at the scripting job, having written films such as A Price Above Rubies, The Rookie, The Punisher (the Dolph Lundgren version) and, more recently, Prince Of Persia. He’s also got the thriller Safe lined up, with Jason Statham set to star.
Ricourt, meanwhile, is a little newer to the game, and a product of Marvel Studios’ writing program, with no produced credits to his name yet. Maybe this will be his first.
There’s no word on when this one might get moving, since it still lacks a director or cast. Still, better practice hiding a rabbit up your sleeve now: it could be a path to fame and fortune if that plot is anything to go by.