The next installment of theNow You See Memovies series is officially in the works, as a new report suggests Lionsgate has tappedTop Gun: Maverickco-writer Eric Warren Singer to write the screenplay for the third movie. According to the report, Singer will bring a “fresh take” to the series withNow You See Me 3, introducing “new characters into the world while also creating opportunities for the original cast to reprise their roles.” While this is a bit vague, it sounds like a new cast will be playing a large part in the story, but we can also expect to see some or all of the original actors coming back as well.
“Eric Warren Singerhas always been fascinated with the fine art of deception and illusion in all of its forms and he came to us with a great story that takes the mythology ofNow You See Meand pushes The Four Horsemen to a whole new level with our key returning cast and new characters,” says Lionsgate Motion Picture Group President Nathan Kahane. He adds: “TheNow You See Mefranchise has been built on keeping the audience surprised and guessing. Any great magician knows, you can’t keep doing the same tricks. And Eric and histeam of illusionistshave something special up their sleeve for this new film.”
Directed by Louis Leterrier and written by the team of Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, and Edward Ricourt, the firstNow You See Mepremiered in theaters in 2013. The movie follows a team ofmagicians using their abilities to pull off big-money heistsand give the cash to their fans, all the while being pursued by the FBI and Interpol. Its impressive ensemble cast included names like Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine. The movie made big money at the box office as well, banking over $351 million against a budget of $75 million.
Based on the success of the first movie, a sequel was quickly put into the works, leading to the release ofNow You See Me 2in 2016. This time, the magicians known asthe Four Horsemenare recruited by a criminal mastermind to steal a data chip. Though Fisher didn’t return to reprise his role from the original, most of the key cast members came back for the sequel, with some new additions including Daniel Radcliffe and Lizzy Caplan. As with the first movie, the sequel was a blockbuster in terms of ticket sales, and planning on the third installment had already begun beforeNow You See Me 2was released. In 2017, it was reported that Benedict Cumberbatch would be joiningNow You See Me 3, but it’s unclear if that will still be the case with a new writer on board.
Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman of Secret Hideout are returning to produce with Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds overseeing the movie for Lionsgate. Jonathan Bayme of Theory 11 is also contributing as a magic consultant to Singer. A director hasn’t yet been named to helm the project. There’s also no word yet on when we might see the movie heading into production, but with the current freeze on shooting movies in Hollywood, Singer will have plenty of time to fine-tune the screenplay before filming can commence. This news comes to us fromVariety.
