When the first Now you see me movie was released in 2013, it brought something that viewers were not expecting. Weaving magic into the age-old story of robberies and bank robberies allowed the film to propel itself to fame, aided by its remarkable cast. The film gained such notoriety and an obsessed fan base that it got a sequel, released in 2016. The second installment, like the first, became a huge hit at the box office, making significant profits. However, the green light for a third film of the franchise was given the green light before the second even hit the screens, featuring Now you see me 3 will be announced just before the release of the second film.
Despite the announcement more than five years ago, fans have remained too dry. Everything remains shrouded in secrecy and mystery, including a possible plot for the film. From what we’ve been able to gather so far, here’s everything there is to know about a possible third installment of the Now you see me franchisee.
Now you see me 3: the plot
the plot of Now you see me 3 remains a huge clean slate. With extremely little information about the movie being released, it’s not an easy task to guess the possible plot of the third movie. From what we know after the first two films, it can be stated with certainty that The Eye acts as a controlling force. The previous films have left quite a few loose ends and glaring questions that hopefully a third film could answer. Fans are eager to get more insight into The Eye and how the secret society functions.
Wherever the storyline goes, if anything can be predicted based on what we’ve seen in the first two films, it’s that the Four Horsemen have some exciting tricks up their sleeve, all set to get fans hooked again. Talking about the new movie with DeadlineLionsgate Motion Picture Group President Nathan Kahane said:
“The Now You See Me franchise is built to keep audiences surprised and guessing. Any great magician knows you can’t keep doing the same tricks. And Eric and his team of illusionists have something special in store for this new film.”
Now You See Me 3: The Cast & Crew
Cast information on the film also remains scarce at the time of writing. When the third film was first announced, most of the original cast, including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fischer, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Lizzy Caplan, were expected to return. However, as so many years have passed, the return of the original crew is not set in stone.
Benedict Cumberbatch was a new addition to the franchise’s cast list when the film was announced. Many fans felt that Cumberbatch would probably play one of the newly introduced magicians on the show. Others, on the other hand, believed that he would be a villain or a police officer. However, given the lack of progress on the project and the passage of time, Cumberbatch’s role in the film may have changed. After all, given his pivotal role in the MCU and several other movies, it’s likely that Cumberbatch won’t have the time he needs to land an additional role in Now you see me 3.
The passage of time has not gone unnoticed by the franchise’s original cast members. Jesse Eisenberg, who plays the arrogant illusionist Danny Atlas, expressed concern about the film’s lack of progress and the effect it could have on fan interest. To talk with Available soon in March 2020 Eisenberg said:
“I hear every now and then from my friends, the other actors in the movies, ‘Oh, I heard something’ and I’m like, ‘Oh really? What did you hear?’, but all we got is ‘Oh, I hear they’re still working on it. I haven’t heard anything, I wonder what the statute of limitations is for that sort of thing because maybe if enough time passes there could be a waning interest in it.”
Although Neil Widener and Gavin James were initially announced as writers for the 2020 film, Now you see me 3 reportedly has a new team of creatives behind the production. Eric Warren Singer has signed on to write the script and give a fresh take on the latest episode. The writer, known for his work on projects such as Only the brave and Top Gun: Maverickwas nominated for an Oscar for his work on American crowds.
Nathan Kahane, speaking about the decision to bring in Singer for the film, said:
“Eric has always been fascinated by the fine art of deception and illusion in all its forms and he came to us with a great story that takes the mythology of Now You See Me and takes The Four Horsemen to a whole new level with our key returning cast and new characters”.
Secret Hideout’s Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman will work together as producers, while Meredith Wick and Aaron Edmonds will oversee the project for Lionsgate. In addition, the services of Jonathan Bayme and his company Theory 11 were hired as magical advisors.
Publication date
A release date for the film has not yet been announced. However, given the significant amount of time the film has taken to hit the screens, it is highly likely that Lionsgate will do everything in its power to speed up the film’s production and release. As the film is in the middle of production at the time of writing Now you see me 3 may eventually be released in late 2022 or sometime in 2023.