When Now You See Me was released in 2013, no one really knew what to expect. Films about heists and bank robberies were old news, but Now You See Me had something those didn’t: magic. Movies about magic seem to do pretty well at the box office, and Now You See Me was no exception. With an electrified cast featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco, Now You See Me was a huge success. The magic trick-centered film focusing on the magicians, The Four Horsemen, had fans immediately demanding another installment.
In 2015, before the second film had even made huge profits in the theaters, Lionsgate Films immediately announced a third being put into production. Now You See Me 2 was released in 2016 with a slightly altered cast, but the same great magic-based heists. Due to Isla Fisher’s pregnancy, she was replaced with Lizzy Caplan, and Daniel Radcliffe joined the cast as a new character. The second installment of the series gave even more information about the ominous The Eye organization that was overseeing the magician's tricks. As of this writing, Now You See Me 3 is still in the early stages of being made. Fans have waited over five years for the installment to release with no luck. So, what is holding Now You See Me 3 back?
Now You See Me 3’s Future is Uncertain
Now You See Me 3 was originally set for a 2018 release, but things did go to plan. Both the writer from the first two films, Ed Solomon, and director John M. Chu exited the project before any work had begun. Variety announced a new writer, Eric Warren Singer, was coming aboard, which means it's possible we'll be seeing a slightly different version of The Four Horsemen than originally planned, but, again, plans stalled with the coronavirus pandemic putting a halt on many film projects.
Prior to the delays, per Screen Rant, it was rumored that Benedict Cumberbatch was slotted to play a villainous magician in Now You See Me 3, but with his Marvel commitments as Dr. Strange, this looks to have fizzled out. Having the original cast from the first two films return would be amazing, but with the busy schedules of such big names, it’s unclear if they would all be able to. The cast is currently up in the air in terms of who could appear. Lionsgate could also be choosing to go in another direction and bring on a mostly-new cast, which would essentially reboot the series after so many years away. While many fans are anxious to know exactly who will appear in Now You See Me 3, we really don’t know.
What Now You See Me 3 Could Be About
Now You See Me 3's plot is also a huge question mark. We know that The Eye is controlling certain things and that there are answers we need to tie up loose ends and plot points from the first two films. It is also possible that Morgan Freeman could return as Thaddeus Bradley. The only thing we know for sure is that there will be plenty of magic included. The Wrap reported that Theory 11, Jonathan Bayme’s magic company, would serve as magical consultants to the filmmakers, but this could have changed in the intervening years.
Again, there is very little information on the film and what it could include. Some people think there won't ever be another movie because of the absence of information. Even Eisenberg seems concerned that Now You See Me 3 won't be produced. In an interview with Coming Soon, Eisenberg said, “I’ve heard nothing, I wonder what the statute of limitations on that kind of stuff is, because maybe if enough time passes, there might be a decreasing level of interest in it.” Perhaps the project has already been shelved since it is becoming less and less likely that the film will actually come to fruition. Has Lionsgate Films stopped believing in the magic? We will all just have to wait to find out.