When is the Now You See Me 3 release date? There was a time when magicians were only thought about if you were a kid attending a birthday party. But these days, they’re a cinematic spectacle worthy of bringing about some major box office winnings, thanks to the Four Horsemen.
When Now You See Me came out in 2013, it was so successful that it ended up spawning a sequel in no time. A third was quickly greenlit, but after years of no news, we thought any new movies for this franchise were dead in the water. But now, it’s officially in development, and we’re already looking forward to the next step in this unmissable detective movie series.
Now You See Me 3 release date speculation
Now You See Me 3 is likely to arrive in 2025, based on a major update announced in October 2023.
The third installment has been a long time coming. Literally. Shortly after the second movie, released in 2016, a third film following the group of mischievous magicians was greenlit, but there were no updates for the longest time.
Now, seven years later, we finally have confirmation that Now You See Me 3 is going ahead at Lionsgate. When the news was announced, it was also revealed that Ruben Fleischer (who helmed the hilarious undead comedy Zombieland) would direct, and Michael Lesslie (who wrote the Assassin’s Creed movie) would write the script.
Frankly, this is no surprise. The original movie scored $351 million at the box office on a $75 million budget, while the sequel made just about the same at double the budget. If one thing’s clear, it’s that this thriller movie series is box office magic.
In November 2023, Jesse Eisenberg revealed that production was set to start very soon, with early 2024 being the goal. “We’re supposed to do it early next year,” he said [via ComingSoon]. “I can’t wait.”
This bodes well for the upcoming release date, since we imagine filming could be done by fall 2024 if they do start within the next few months. Add in a good amount of time for post-production, then we could be looking at a mid-2025 release date if we’re lucky.
Who’s in the Now You See Me 3 cast?
Three major Now You See Me cast members are already slated to return: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman.
In addition to his release date reveal, Eisenberg also made a point of saying how much he enjoys his Now You See Me role, so it’s not surprising he’s chosen step back into those magic shoes.
“Unlike a movie like this where my character’s experiencing such deep rage, anxiety, and depression, my character in that is so confident and is a performer and a showman, and it’s just a breath of fresh air, as an actor, to get to live in that kind of world too,” he said.
Eisenberg plays J. Daniel Atlas, a street magician who specializes in illusions. He’s also the leader of the Four Horsemen and is a pretty arrogant leader, at that. Harrelson plays Merritt McKinney, who takes a more psychological approach to magic with his talents in hypnosis and mental tricks.
Finally, Freeman plays Thaddeus Bradley (the perfect magician name, in our opinion), an ex-magician who makes money by exposing the truth behind other’s tricks, who’s later revealed to be behind a secretive society called The Eye.
If Eisenberg and Harrelson are coming back, then it’s safe to assume that David Franco could return too, reprising his role as Jack Wilder, a sleight-of-hand magician who also serves as a pickpocket. That would make three of the Four Horsemen.
Isla Fisher rounded out the crew in the original movie, but was swapped out for Lizzy Caplan for the sequel due to Fisher’s pregnancy. In all likelihood, Caplan will probably return as the fourth Horsemen, Lula.
Here’s the expected Now You See Me 3 cast list:
- Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas
- Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney
- Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley
- Dave Franco as Jack Wilder
- Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes
- Lizzy Caplan as Lula
- Michael Caine as Arthur Tressler
What’s Now You See Me 3 about?
While no official plot has been confirmed for Now You See Me 3, it’s very likely that the third movie will follow the Four Horsemen as they perform jobs for The Eye.
The first two movies followed their journey to being accepted by The Eye, an elite group of magicians who believe they have access to real magic and use their skills to steal from the rich. It’s all very Robin Hood. It was also revealed that Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman) was the secret leader of The Eye.
We’d be willing to put money on the fact that the third movie will follow the group as The Eye sends them on a job to steal from a rich target, which will very likely include some logic-defying magic tricks and schemes to get the job done. No doubt the FBI will still be on their tail, too.
First and foremost, the Now You See Me franchise is a collection of astonishing heist movies. They keep the audience guessing, introduce palpable tension and do it all with some pretty awesome card tricks. All this has made them the best movies for fans of magic (outside of Harry Potter), and it sounds like Fleischer knows it.
“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,” he said [via Deadline]. “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.”
Is there a Now You See Me 3 trailer?
There’s no Now You See Me 3 trailer just yet, but we could see one in late 2024.
If Eisenberg is correct on the early 2024 production start date, then there should be some footage/first looks coming our way by the end of next year. We’ll keep an eye out, so be sure to check back.
In the meantime, remind yourself of what the Four Horsemen are capable of with the below clip from Now You See Me 2. Honestly, this one had us practicing our card tricks for weeks…
Where can I watch Now You See Me 3?
Now You See Me 3 should get a major theatrical release when it comes out.
Based on the box office success of the first two movies, we imagine Lionsgate is dying to get another movie in the franchise out on big screens. After a theatrical run, we’d expect it to land on streaming services.
Since the first movie is currently available on Tubi and Prime Video, and the sequel is available on Prime Video only, we’ll just have to wait and see which platform the third movie ends up on, but it’ll undoubtedly be available to rent or buy on Prime at some point.
For more magic, take a look at how to watch the Harry Potter movies in order and keep an eye on the Fantastic Beasts 4 release date. We’ve also got breakdowns of the best action movies, and you can find out all we know about Dune 2 and Fast and Furious 11, to see what thrills are soon to come.