Posted in: Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: now you see me 3

Jesse Eisenberg Says Now You See Me 3 "Is Really Astounding"

Now You See Me 3 is finally emerging from development hell next year, and star Jesse Eisenberg says the film "is really astounding."

It sounds like things are moving along quite nicely for the team behind Now You See Me 3. Any other time, you would have wondered why Lionsgate was greenlighting another one of these, but then you look at all of the films they have released in the last couple of months that have failed to connect with audiences, and it makes a lot more sense. A third film following two others that weren't exactly critical darlings but did well enough? That probably sounds like gold to the people at Lionsgate these days. Jesse Eisenberg is reprising his role for the third time, and he spoke to Total Film about filming, how he managed to break his finger, and praised nearly every aspect of the movie.

"We've been in Budapest for the last three months, and I almost made it till the end without breaking anything," the actor tells us, referring to a broken finger. "And the movie is really astounding. It's directed by Ruben Fleischer. This is my fourth movie with him. … Every day we walk onto set and pinch ourselves because the set pieces, the magic, the ensemble, it's really, truly miraculous."

Now You See Me…Hanging Out In Development Hell

Now You See Me was released in 2013 and followed a group of magicians pulling off tricks that had real-world consequences and the police officers who were trying to track them down. While the first film wasn't exactly a critical smash, it did well enough, and audiences seemed to connect with the film. It had a modest budget of $75 million and made over $350 million at the worldwide box office, along with a cast of likable stars with a chemistry that was fun enough to watch. So it wasn't surprising when a sequel rolled into theaters in 2016 with a few cast changes. The budget was as high as $120 million, and the movie made $334 million at the worldwide box office. While that isn't anything to sneeze at, it's not great either, and the reviews on this one were much harsher. Still, they powered on, and before the second film was in theaters, there were talks of a third film.

However, things very much stalled from there. It seemed like things were moving at a decent pace, with Caplan saying she would be returning along with John M. Chu, who directed Now You See Me 2, who was also set to return. In December 2016, there were reports that Benedict Cumberbatch would join the cast. However, we heard nothing about the film until 2020, when some movement finally occurred.

Fleischer was brought on to direct in September 2022, and at CinemaCon in April 2024, Lionsgate confirmed that pre-production is underway. Now You See Me 3 is set to be released on November 14, 2025, nine and a half years after the release of the second film. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman are all reportedly set to return, and Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith, Rosamund Pike, and Dominic Sessa have also joined the cast.

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