Now You See Me: Now You Don’t Filmmakers Reveal How Legacy & Newcomer Cast Paralleled with Real-Life

by

After a nine-year break, the popular magic heist series Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is back. The film reunites Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher as their magician characters, who this time are up against the cunning diamond dealer Veronika Vanderberg, played by Rosamund Pike.

The original group of magicians is now joined by a new cast – Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt – bringing fresh energy to the series. TopMob spoke with director Ruben Fleischer and producer Bobby Cohen about how this new generation interacts with the returning characters in the third film.

Cohen shared his excitement about Greenblatt, Sessa, and Smith appearing in the third movie. He noted they all saw the original films as children and were now working alongside people they’d admired growing up.

Cohen drew a parallel between the two groups of magicians in the film and different generations of rock bands, noting the common tendency for them to clash. The producer explained that the key to resolving this conflict is for both the established and newer magicians to recognize their shared passion for magic and find ways to collaborate.

You know, as a movie fan, one of the coolest things Ruben mentioned was seeing our young cast members share the screen with legends like Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Morgan Freeman. He said it was amazing for them to feel connected to that history, that legacy of actors who came before them – a real passing of the torch moment.

The director explained that when planning the third movie, he focused on what he, as a fan of the series, would want to see. He aimed to deliver a more exciting experience with bigger stunts, illusions, and more thrilling action than in the previous films.

You can watch the full interview below. The movie Now You See Me: Now You Don’t comes out in theaters on November 14, 2025. Interestingly, a TV series based on the franchise was also considered at one point.

Combining Generations of Magicians for One Big Adventure

The Old & the New Come Together In Exciting Ways.

  • TopMob: “One of the key recurring themes in this film is the topic of generation, most notably, the differences between generations. Can you both talk about how you wanted this movie to address kind of those generational rifts and what you wanted the story to say about it?”

When we started working on the first movie, we decided to present the magicians as if they were a rock band. We wanted to move away from the traditional, old-fashioned image people had of magicians. Our core idea was that they were the coolest band in the world, and that’s how we portrayed them in the first film.

Think of a band that was once popular but has faded. After their initial success and a string of albums, they often start to repeat themselves. People notice they’re relying on old formulas, and it can feel like they’ve lost their passion or are just going through the motions.

In the third movie, we featured a new rock band – a group of young musicians with a rebellious spirit and a sound completely different from their parents’ generation. A key part of the story was the conflict, and eventual collaboration, between this new band and an older, established group. Ultimately, both bands had to recognize their shared passion for music and find a way to create something together. That was really the heart of what we were going for.

Director Ruben Fleischer noted a compelling connection between the making of the film and its story. Just as the young actor characters looked up to the established magicians in the film, the new cast members were inspired by and worked alongside veteran actors like Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Morgan Freeman. It was enjoyable to see the younger actors experience that sense of a legacy and learn from those who came before them.

We’d discussed this previously, but it was fascinating to see how the actors we cast connected with the original film. They were all in their 20s during the casting process, but they’d first seen the movie around age 10, before even considering acting as a career. For them, the movie held a strong nostalgic connection – it was something they’d watched as kids, and the idea of now being in it was incredibly exciting.

Imagine someone telling me I’d be in a new Goonies movie! It was unbelievable. That film is such a big part of my childhood – my mom actually took me to see it in theaters and bought my popcorn. Now, I was acting alongside the original cast. It was amazing to see the dynamic between the young stars – Ariana, Dominic, and Justice – who all grew up watching the Goonies, and were now co-starring with their childhood heroes. Watching that happen was really special.

How Now You See Me 3 Ups the Ante

“You Never Want to Feel Like You’re Just Re-Skinning the Movie.”

  • TopMob: “What were some of the key ways in which you really wanted this third one to up the ante and evolve the franchise, just across the board?”

Ruben Fleischer explained that he came into the project as a new perspective. While the initial ideas came from Bobby, Fleischer was lucky enough to approach the movie as a fan. He asked himself what he would want to see in a new installment, and how they could deliver even more impressive visuals, bigger stunts, and more exciting action than previous films. He saw it as a thrilling opportunity to really push the boundaries of what the franchise could be.

The key to a good sequel, as anyone knows, is avoiding simply repeating the original story with a new coat of paint. It’s a common pitfall, and despite our best efforts, it’s easy to fall into. With this film, we focused on returning to the central concept: the characters are truly performing magic. From the beginning, director Ruben Fleischer emphasized practical effects and capturing the illusions authentically on camera – that was a major priority.

Throughout the movie, especially during the scenes set in the amazing French chateau, everything you see is real – we actually built those incredible rooms. There’s no computer-generated imagery used. We assembled a top-notch team of magicians and illusionists who rigorously trained the actors. It’s comparable to Tom Cruise performing his own stunts, like jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle, but in the world of magic.

The entire interview can be seen below:

Read More

2025-11-10 19:37