Does the world need another “Now You See Me” movie? After all, the last one came out in 2016 and, despite a successful pull at the box office, it didn’t win over critics. Deadline reports that Lionsgate thinks it’s okay to mine this well again, and they’ve tapped a new director to helm the franchise: “Venom” and “Uncharted” director Ruben Fleischer.
READ MORE: ‘Uncharted’ Review: Tom Holland’s Charm Can’t Keep This Adventure On Course
The return of the Four Horsemen, the magician thieves at the heart of the franchise, will return to the big screen thanks to a buffed-up screenplay from “Pride And Prejudice And Zombies” scribe Seth Grahame-Smith. The original draft came from “Top Gun: Maverick” co-writer Eric Warren. However, it’s unclear at this point who in the Four Horsemen will reappear for “Now You See Me 3.” The previous films starred Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher as the foursome, with Lizzy Caplan taking over for Fisher in the second movie. Other actors involved in the franchise include Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Radcliffe, and Michael Caine.
However, the announcement of Fleischer as director more or less confirms the return of Eisenberg and Harrison. “There are three things in this world I absolutely love… Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and magic,” said Fleischer in a statement. “To have the chance to work with these two talented actors, as well as rest of the incredible cast of the “Now You See M”e movies is a dream come true. 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.”
As a director, Fleischer leaves a lot to be desired, but his recent films are box office hits. “Venom” pulled in over $850 million at the global box office, while “Uncharted” managed $400 million; not bad numbers for that kind of fare. Of course, Fleischer has also worked with Eisenberg and Harrelson on the two “Zombieland” films, which have a cult audience but not the same box office numbers as the movies above. He feels like a comfortable fit for the “Now You See Me” films, though.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President Nathan Kahane feels that way, at least. “Ruben has proven time and again that he has a special talent with character-driven blockbuster entertainment,” Kahane said in a statement. “He delivers big excitement while ultimately keeping the focus on the characters audiences care about. We feel like we’ve assembled a dream team to get this movie off the ground. For everyone we’ve kept in suspense, the wait is almost over.”
Again, no one was really clamoring for another “Now You See Me” movie after six years, but it looks like that’s what Lionsgate has on offer. Stay tuned for casting updates, likely to be announced soon.