Lionsgate is about to make magic again after tapping Ruben Fleischer to helm the third installment of the action-heist franchise Now You See Me. The announcement was made by Nathan Kahane, president, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.
The director of the blockbuster hits Venom, Uncharted, and Zombieland will direct the next chapter featuring the thieving illusionists known as the Four Horseman while introducing audiences to a new generation of characters.
For the screenplay, the studio has also brought on board Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) to work on a new draft of the screenplay, overseen by Fleischer. The previous draft is by Oscar nominee Eric Warren Singer, who previously co-wrote the hits Top Gun: Maverick and American Hustle.
The Now You See Me franchise has taken in $687 million worldwide. The previous films starred Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman, among others.
Bobby Cohen, alongside Alex Kurtzman of Secret Hideout, will produce the new installment. Meredith Wieck and Chisom Ude are overseeing the project for Lionsgate.
Commenting on the announcement, Fleischer said, “There are three things in this world I absolutely love… Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and magic. To have the chance to work with these two talented actors, as well as rest of the incredible cast of the Now You See Me movies is a dream come true.”
He continued: “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. 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.”
Kahane added, “Ruben has proven time and again that he has a special talent with character-driven blockbuster entertainment. He delivers big excitement while ultimately keeping the focus on the characters audiences care about.
“We feel like we’ve assembled a dream team to get this movie off the ground. For everyone we’ve kept in suspense, the wait is almost over.”
Ruben Fleischer most recently directed and executive produced Uncharted, which took in over $400 million worldwide, and directed Venom, which grossed over $850 million globally. As a producer, he executive produced HBO’s upcoming limited series The White House Plumbers.
Seth Grahame-Smith previously wrote The LEGO Batman Movie, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the latter two based on his novels. He produced 2017’s blockbuster It, and is currently showrunning Green Lantern for HBO Max.
