The announcement of Now You See Me 3 brings forth another highly-anticipated film for the next big heist, though its release date is yet to be disclosed. All we know is it will be in the year 2019, and that Four Horsemen are going to up the ante this time around. It's an entirely fresh screenplay written by Gavin James and Neil Widener, screenwriters lifted from the hands of Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt to Ed Soloman.
What's more exciting is the speculation that British actor Benedict Cumberbatch will grace the next instalment with his presence with an already star-studded cast. As leaks become more widespread, sources say that he might play the role of a major agent who'll be dealing with The Eyes. Others say that the Doctor Strange star will only make a brief cameo, as he was primarily invited as a guest. Truth is, nothing has been revealed yet about the 40-year-old's character so far.
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco will all reprise their roles for Now You See Me 3. But as for Isla Fisher, terrifying complications with the underwater stunt in the first instalment has made her reluctant to return. She turned down reprising her role in the second instalment and will not take part in the filming of the third. To fill her spot, Lizzy Caplan is expected to return to join the magicians in their "steal-from the-rich for the greater good" scheme.
Jay Chou is reportedly starring in the Chinese spinoff of Now you See Me
Now you See Me was such hit at the box office that its original producer began talks on filming the third film long before the second was even out in the theatres. Aside from that, Lionsgate and Beijing-based Leomus Pictures got word out in July about a spin-off that'll remain aligned with the franchise. The official US-China co-production proved to be a lucrative collaboration considering Now You See Me 2’s noteworthy $97.1 million in China alone.
The upcoming sequel is set to reunite most of the core cast with Cumberbatch entering the scene at some point. Fans are bound to be dazzled by stunning performances, both by the actors and the Four Horsemen's new magic tricks.
Benedict Cumberbatch and his water magic trick
