It has been six years since Now You See Me 2 followed up the first film, blending illusions, humour and heists and earning more than $600 million combined at the global box office. Now Lionsgate is headed back to the well a third time, hiring Uncharted director Ruben Fleischer to make the new film.
This latest entry in the franchise has been in the works for a while, with Top Gun: Maverick co-writer Eric Warren Singer writing a draft. The studio, though, is now bringing in Seth Grahame-Smith to crank out a new version.
Fleischer, of course, has form with two of the Now You See Me main cast – Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson – who he directed in both Zombieland movies. Eisenberg and Harrelson are expected to return as Daniel Atlas and Merritt McKinney, two of the Four Horsemen, a group of proficient illusionists who pull off robberies against wealthy, indifferent industrialists, as the law struggles to catch up to them.
"There are three things in this world I absolutely love… Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and magic. To have the chance to work with these two talented actors, as well as rest of the incredible cast of the Now You See Me movies is a dream come true," says Fleischer in a statement. "I am a lifelong fan of heist movies – I love getting drawn in by the twists and the mystery where nothing is what it seems. And that’s even more true when the thieves are magicians – the opportunities are endless. Eric was able to unlock a fresh and exciting way into a new movie and fun new characters, so I’m excited to dig in even further."
Want to get the most from Empire? Sign up for Empire Membership!
Get exclusive content, new member-only rewards, access to the latest issue of the magazine plus our back-issue archive, and much more.