It’s been a very touch and go time for the film & television industry. While the fate of many projects remain in jeopardy, there are a number of films gearing up for production. The Now You See Me franchise turned out to be surprisingly profitable and offer up a fresh perspective on the heist genre.
Cinema is still at a place where superhero movies reign supreme, but that hasn’t stopped the recent announcement of Now You See Me 3, which looks like it’s finally getting close to becoming a reality. This new sequel in the series has many excited, but there are many factors that influence the quality of this film.
10 Can’t Wait: The Cast Is Back
Movie audiences have gotten somewhat spoiled over the idea of an ensemble of A-list celebrities working together in massive superhero blockbusters. 2013 wasn’t that different of a time for film, but it certainly made a bigger impact as Now You See Me’s cast is absolutely stacked, featuring the likes of Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Woody Harrelson, and many more. Details on Now You See Me 3 are currently slim, but the entire cast has been confirmed to return, which already is a good sign for where things are headed.
9 Worried: Too Much Time Has Passed
2016 isn't that long ago in the grander scheme of things, but with how quickly the film industry operates it can practically be an eternity. Work on Now You See Me 3 was ready to begin hot on the release of the sequel and projects of this nature are sometimes the most successful when the film is still in the collective consciousness. It’s possible that audiences have just moved on from the franchise at this point and other trends have taken over. It just might feel like the magic—literally—is lost.
8 Can’t Wait: It's A Unique Genre
The heist genre has never been unpopular, but there’s been a resurgence in this material as of late. When these type of stories work, they can be incredibly satisfying, but what makes the Now You See movies so unique is that they take the heist genre and mix it together with many unexpected sensibilities.
Now You See Me is a very unique take on a crime and ensemble movie due to how it pairs magician and illusionist tropes into tense scenarios. It finds a way to make sleight of hand skills feel like superpowers that’s like nothing else.
7 Worried: Finding A Bigger Heist Storyline
The ending of Now You See Me 2 unites all of the characters associated with the Four Horsemen, and reveals who’s secretly in charge & that there are much bigger missions that lie ahead. It’s exciting to think of a Now You See Me 3 that features a fully-formed group more capable to tackle heists that are even larger in scope, but that also welcomes new challenges. These stories can only get so much bigger without feeling like parodies. Now You See Me 3 begins in a tough position where the plot could really make or break the film.
6 Can’t Wait: Woody Harrelson Can Get Even More Unleashed
Every cast member in the Now You See Me films brings something special to the equation, but Woody Harrelson gets to go to some truly crazy places in the sequel. Now You See Me 2 introduces Chase, the twin brother of Harrelson's Merritt. Harrelson plays both roles and while something as broad as this could be a disaster, Harrelson pulls it off. With this precedent now set, it'd be great for the next film to let Harrelson go even further and let him play a third role in some capacity. Maybe the McKinneys have a long-lost triplet.
5 Worried: Adding More To The Cast
The star-studded cast of Now You See Me works both for and against the film franchise. There’s a phenomenal and eclectic cast that’s been assembled here, but Now You See Me 3 likely plans to add even more celebrities, whether in the form of allies for the Four Horsemen, or a new villain.
The main cast is nearly in the double digits and adding more people could weaken the formula and steal focus. Benedict Cumberbatch was a name that was originally thrown around to be in the new sequel, but there are likely more people that are in consideration.
4 Can’t Wait: It's A Franchise That Hasn't Oversaturated Itself
There are still original ideas happening in Hollywood, but there’s been an increasing push towards turning properties into franchises and milking them for all that their worth. Some stories definitely benefit from sequels and prequels, but others can suffer as a result. There was a time when the success of the first two Now You See Me films was pushing the franchise into that direction with numerous spin-off films under discussion for development. Thankfully, this didn’t happen and the return of Now You See Me will feel fresh, rather than a property that’s outstayed its welcome.
3 Worried: It Could Get Too Silly
Tone and atmosphere are important and a strong script with a great cast becomes irrelevant if it’s a tonal mess that can’t make up its mind. The premise of the Now You See Me movies is inherently ridiculous on some level, but the movies never skew too far towards the absurd and they still attempt to ground all of their actions in reality. That being said, Now You See Me 2 definitely becomes more comedic and going even further in this direction could ruin the delicate balance that the first two films establish.
2 Can’t Wait: Further Development For Characters And Backstory
Generic action films have a tendency to just turn up the chaos and stakes with their sequels instead of looking inward towards the characters and their relationships. One of the best things about Now You See Me 2 is that it actively explores the characters’ pasts and how these relationships have transformed over time. Turning Now You See Me into a trilogy would likely push this angle even further. Now You See Me 2 explores Arthur Tressler’s past and backstory, but all of these characters have deep histories and grudges that are ripe for examination.
1 Worried: A New Writer And Possibly A New Director
A change up in creative talent isn’t always a bad thing, but there’s at least reason to be concerned in the case of Now You See Me 3 since Ed Solomon, the writer of the first two films, is not returning. Instead Eric Warren Singer will pen the screenplay and it remains unclear if either Jon M. Chu or Louis Leterrier will be back in the director’s chair. Singer is an Oscar-nominated writer and his ties to David O. Russell could work in the film’s favor, but the fact that someone new will be writing these characters might feel awkward.