On November 14th, the magic-themed crime thriller *Now You See Me 3* officially premiered in theaters nationwide. On the evening of the 13th, the film held its Chinese premiere in Beijing with a "Magic Extravaganza Night," simultaneously held at a branch venue of the Xiamen Golden Rooster Film Festival. The event venue was transformed into a large-scale immersive magic show, with magicians Liu Shijie and Sun Zheng recreating famous scenes from the film such as the "Flying Card Miracle" and "Diamond Explosion," incorporating traditional Chinese magic tricks.
Now You See Me 3 is the third installment in the globally popular magic crime franchise. Produced by Lionsgate, imported by China Film Group Corporation, and distributed and dubbed by China Film Co., Ltd., the film is directed by Ruben Fleischer (director of Venom and Uncharted), with a screenwriting team including Seth Graham-Smith and Michael Leslie. The story was conceived by Eric Warren Singer.
Movie poster
The most eye-catching element of the film is the return of the original "Four Horsemen"—Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher—reuniting on screen after twelve years. Morgan Freeman also reprises his role, while Golden Globe-winning actress Rosamund Pike joins the cast as the villainous diamond tycoon Veronica Vanderbilt. New Hollywood stars Justice Smith, Dominic Cesar, and Ariane Greenblatt form a new generation of magicians. This is also the first time the series has achieved a simultaneous release in mainland China and North America.
"Drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese magic"
Director Ruben Fleischer expressed his enthusiasm for the project: "There are only three things in this world that I absolutely love: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and magic. Having the opportunity to work with these two incredibly talented actors, as well as the other excellent cast members of the Now You See Me series, is a dream come true." He emphasized the series' consistent pursuit of authentic magic, adding, "Magic is an art form with hundreds of years of history. We also drew a lot of inspiration from traditional Chinese magic this time."
Photos from the Chinese premiere (Beijing)
Fleischer also highlighted the film's core spirit: "The concept of 'theft on behalf of God' had a huge impact on the production of this film. The 'Knights' in the 'Now You See Me' series have a tradition of using 'theft' to help the poor. They are 'modern Robin Hoods,' and what they want to bring down are those exploitative and insatiably greedy billionaires." He pointed out that the villainous tycoon played by Rosamund Pike's character has a family business built on lies, and the Knights' mission is to expose the truth.
Live-action magic shows bring unique challenges
The return of the original Four Horsemen was not only necessary for the plot, but also a matter of personal sentiment for the actors. Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Daniel Atlas (the poker magician), said, "When I heard that the original Four Horsemen would be in the whole movie, I was ecstatic." Speaking about how this role differs from others, he said, "Usually, I play characters who are emotionally tormented or extremely uncomfortable with themselves, so playing such a character in this movie—an arrogant, self-confident guy who never doubts himself—was incredibly fun and exciting for me."
Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas
Eisenberg emphasized the live-action nature of the magic in the film: "In this latest 'Now You See Me 3,' we filmed most of the magic effects live on camera, rather than relying on computer-generated special effects in post-production." He mentioned a scene in a rotating space, "This is unlike anything I've ever done before... It's probably the most unique physical challenge I've ever experienced on a film set."
Screenshot from the trailer; Rosamund Pike plays Veronica.
Rosamund Pike, who plays the villain, said of her role, "I especially love her vanity... Veronica is arrogant, vain, complacent, and playful—and always full of fun." Jesse Eisenberg praised her performance, saying, "We had a one-on-one scene, which was one of the most exciting days I've ever had on set because her character is so wicked and chilling. But you just can't take your eyes off her."