As insane as it may sound on the surface, Lionsgate is about to move ahead and make the magic-centricNow You See Mecrime thriller franchise into a trilogy.Now You See Me 2came out over the summer and sneakily pulled in some decent box office dollars. So, the studio has hired a couple of up-and-coming writers to pen the script forNow You See Me 3.
According to a new report fromDeadline, screenwritersNeil WidenerandGavin James, who were also recently hired to writeSan Andreas 2, have been brought in to pen the script forNow You See Me 3. The pair could quickly become known as the guys who writeunlikely sequels, but at leastSan Andreas 2hasDwayne Johnsonto help anchor it. In any case,Now You See Me 3is happening and most of the central cast is expected to return. So get ready to see TheFour Horsemendo some more totally unrealistic magic and commit major Robin Hood style crimes
The originalNow You See Medid fairly well and went on to gross $351.7 million worldwide on a $75 million budget, which represented a pretty decent return for Lionsgate. Though, at least at the time, it didn’t exactly feel like a franchise film. However,Now You See Me 2brought in a similar return on investment, bringing in $334 million worldwide. The original also did quite well once it was released on DVD/Blu-ray and digital, as well as getting quite a bit of play on cable. There is no reason to expectNow You See Me 2won’t be able to do the same, so that further helps justify the seemingly eventual existence ofNow You See Me 3.
Neil WidenerandGavin Jamesare quickly becoming a sought after writing duo. They got their break writing the upcomingBattle Of Alcatraz, which Paramount purchased last year, but there was competition from other studios to land the movie. That movie will be set in the famous prison and center on a famous 1946 escape attempt by six inmates. That apparently got them noticed, because that landed them both theSan Andreas 2gig as well asNow You See Me 3.
Now You See Me 2wasn’t exactly a critical smash, as it currently sits at a 34 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but seemed to fare much better with fans. That seems to echo what happened with the firstNow You See Meas well. Though critics didn’t hate the original quite as much, they still didn’t seem to love it either. The sequel added some star power withDaniel RadcliffeandLizzy Caplan, butIsla Fisherdidn’t return. There is no word yet on an anticipatedrelease dateforNow You See Me 3, butJon Chuis expected to return to direct.
