The project was officially announced in July 2013. Principal photography began in November 2014 and concluded in May 2015. The film was released on June 10, 2016, by Lionsgate.[6] It received mixed critical reviews but was commercially successful, grossing $334 million worldwide. A third installment, titled Now You See Me: Now You Don't, is scheduled for release on November 14, 2025.
Plot
Eighteen months after evading the FBI,[a] the Four Horsemen—J. Daniel Atlas, Merritt McKinney, Jack Wilder (previously believed dead), and their new recruit Lula May—await instructions from the Eye, a secret society of magicians. Their handler, FBI agent Dylan Rhodes, tasks them with exposing tech CEO Owen Case, whose new phone is designed to harvest user data illegally.
During the product launch in New York City, the Horsemen's hijacking is sabotaged by an unknown figure who reveals Jack’s survival and Dylan’s double identity. Natalie Austin, an FBI deputy director, is in charge of apprehending the Horsemen and Dylan. The group flees from the authorities, but are unexpectedly transported to Macau, where they are captured by Chase, Merritt’s twin brother, and taken to Walter Mabry, a tech magnate and former partner of Case. Walter, whose design for a data-decryption chip was stolen by Case, coerces the Horsemen into stealing the chip from a secure facility. Though hesitant, Daniel agrees, hoping to double-cross Walter and steal the chip.
The team acquires tools from a local magic shop run by Li and Bu Bu, then infiltrates the facility using sleight of hand to extract the chip. Meanwhile, Dylan seeks help from Thaddeus Bradley, a magic debunker he had previously imprisoned. After freeing Thaddeus, Dylan meets with Daniel, who intends to pass the chip to the Eye but is deceived by Walter. Dylan facilitates Daniel's escape with the chip but is captured by Walter and locked in a safe, drowning him in a recreation of his father’s fatal accident upon Dylan learning that Walter is actually Arthur Tressler's son seeking revenge for stealing the funds from his father.
Afterwards, Arthur pays Thaddeus to capture the remaining Horsemen. However, Dylan escapes and reunites with the Horsemen, who discover that their stolen chip is a decoy. They plan a final public performance in London on New Year's Eve, hoping to expose Walter and Arthur. During the show, the group is seemingly captured and thrown from a private plane. It is later revealed that the aircraft never left the ground; the “flight” was staged on a barge in the Thames. The Horsemen and Dylan broadcast footage exposing Walter, Arthur, and Chase’s crimes, leading to their arrest by the authorities.
Afterward, the Horsemen are taken to the Greenwich Observatory, where they meet other members of the Eye, including Li, Bu Bu, and Allen, a man working at the institute holding the chip, who was present for the theft. Thaddeus reveals himself as the group's leader and a former partner of Lionel Shrike, Dylan’s father. He names Dylan as his successor, and the Horsemen are welcomed into the organization.
Cast
Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas, a member of the Four Horsemen.
Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes, a former FBI agent, the new leader of the Four Horsemen and the son of the late illusionist Lionel Shrike.
Woody Harrelson as Merritt McKinney, a member of the Four Horsemen, and Chase McKinney, an associate of Mabry.[7] They are twin brothers who specialize in hypnosis.
Dave Franco as Jack Wilder, a magician specializing in card tricks. He is a member of the Four Horsemen.
Daniel Radcliffe as Walter Mabry, Arthur Tressler's illegitimate son, a young technology tycoon.
Lizzy Caplan as Lula May, a new member of the Four Horsemen, replacing Henley.[8]
Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, a magic debunker, exposing the tricks of other magicians; the grandmaster of the Eye and a friend of Lionel Shrike.[9]
Jay Chou as Li, a Macanese magic shop owner and member of the Eye.
Sanaa Lathan as Deputy Director Natalie Austin, an FBI deputy director who tracks down Rhodes for helping the Horsemen.
Michael Caine as Arthur Tressler, the Four Horsemen's former sponsor, who wants revenge for losing his money and power.
Ben Lamb as Owen Case, Walter's former business partner.
David Warshofsky as Agent Cowan, an FBI agent and a skeptic of Rhodes'.
Tsai Chin as Bu Bu, Li's grandmother, who owns a magic shop in Macau and is also a member of the Eye.
Richard Laing as Lionel Shrike, a magician who drowned while performing an escape trick thirty years ago, Dylan's late father. The character was previously played by an uncredited Elias Koteas in the first film.
The working title Now You See Me: Now You Don’t was initially promoted by Chu,[12][13] but in November 2014, the studio confirmed the official title as Now You See Me: The Second Act.[14][15] The original subtitle was later used for the franchise’s third installment.
Casting
In October 2014, Michael Caine announced that Daniel Radcliffe had joined the cast as his character’s son and that filming was scheduled to begin in December in London.[16] Around the same time, it was confirmed that Isla Fisher would not reprise her role as Henley Reeves due to her pregnancy. Lizzy Caplan was cast as a new character, Lula May, to replace her as the fourth Horseman.[16][12]
On January 28, 2015, Henry Lloyd-Hughes was confirmed to join the cast as Allen Scott-Frank, a skilled technology expert.[17] Although initial reports in December 2014 suggested Morgan Freeman would not return,[18] director Jon M. Chu later confirmed his participation with a photo posted on social media in January 2015.[9]
Filming
Principal photography began in London in late November 2014. On November 25, Mark Ruffalo confirmed the start of filming via his official Facebook page.[19] Production later moved to China, where filming took place in Macau, including scenes at the Macao Science Center. Shooting in the region occurred between March 12 and March 18, 2015.[20]
Music
Theme song
Taiwanese singer Jay Chou, who also appears in the film as Li, produced the international theme song titled "Now You See Me" for the film’s Chinese-language release. While the film version is in Mandarin, the album version includes English lyrics. Director Jon M. Chu also incorporated two of Chou's earlier songs into the film’s soundtrack: “Eunuch with a Headache,” which plays during Li’s introduction at the magic shop counter, and “Extra Large Shoes.”
In addition, the Macau segment features “Fresh Gang,” a track by Taiwanese rap group MJ116 and rapper MC HotDog, further highlighting the film’s regional setting and international appeal.[21]
The film’s original score was composed by Brian Tyler, who had also scored the first installment. The official soundtrack, featuring Tyler’s compositions, was released by Varèse Sarabande on June 10, 2016, to coincide with the film’s theatrical release.
Release
In November 2014, the film was officially titled Now You See Me 2 and scheduled for theatrical release on June 10, 2016, in the United States.[19][10] Its international release began on July 4, 2016, in various markets.
The film was released on Digital HD on August 19, 2016, followed by Blu-ray and DVD formats on September 6, 2016.[22]
Reception
Box office
Now You See Me 2 grossed $65.1 million in the United States and Canada and $269.8 million in international markets, for a worldwide total of $334.9 million against a production budget of $120 million.[5]
In North America, the film opened on June 10, 2016, alongside Warcraft and The Conjuring 2, and was projected to earn $23–26 million from 3,232 theaters in its opening weekend.[23][24] It earned $1.8 million in Thursday night previews—exceeding the $1.5 million preview total of its predecessor—and $8.4 million on its opening day.[25][4] The film debuted to $22.3 million, ranking third at the domestic box office behind The Conjuring 2 ($40.4 million) and Warcraft ($24.1 million).[26]
In China, the film was released on June 24, 2016, and earned $14.8 million on its opening day—a record for Lionsgate and a 67.9% increase over the first film’s debut.[7] Its opening weekend totaled $44.4 million, another Lionsgate record.[27] China ultimately became the film’s largest market, contributing $97.1 million to its worldwide gross.[28]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, Now You See Me 2 holds an approval rating of 34% based on 197 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Now You See Me 2 packs in even more twists and turns than its predecessor, but in the end, it has even less hiding up its sleeve."[29] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 46 out of 100, based on 33 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[30] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[31]
Critical reaction was mixed, though several reviewers praised Lizzy Caplan’s performance as a standout addition to the cast. Entertainment Weekly described Caplan as “one of the sequel’s biggest improvements,”[32] while Dave White of TheWrap noted that she “provides a fresh infusion of smart-ass energy into the boys’ club.”[33]Filmink echoed the sentiment, writing that Caplan “overshadows her skilled co-stars with her sassy and commanding screen presence.”[34]
Daniel Radcliffe also received attention for his portrayal of antagonist Walter Mabry. Owen Gleiberman of Variety described Radcliffe as “all bearded creepy grins,” likening him to “the world’s youngest Bond villain.”[35] Randy Cordova of The Arizona Republic called his character “a spoiled and petulant baddie, alternately creepy and hilarious,” and praised the sequel overall as more entertaining than the original.[36]
Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club noted the film’s heightened implausibility, writing that it “embraces implausibility as an aesthetic” and commended its willingness to indulge in spectacle. He wrote, “If [director Jon M.] Chu doesn’t seem comfortable with the swooping, lens-flare-speckled flashiness that director Louis Leterrier brought to the first film, he seems even less interested than his predecessor in creating the impression of a recognizably real world—which is a good thing.”[37]
Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune offered a more reserved assessment, but remarked that the film was “more fun” than its predecessor.[38]
In May 2015, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer announced that early development had begun on a third installment in the Now You See Me franchise, tentatively titled Now You See Me 3.[40]Lizzy Caplan was confirmed to reprise her role as Lula May, and Benedict Cumberbatch joined the cast in an undisclosed role.[41][42][43]
In April 2020, Lionsgate revealed that Eric Warren Singer had been hired to write the screenplay.[44] However, in September 2022, Ruben Fleischer was announced as the director, with Seth Grahame-Smith taking over screenwriting duties.[45][46] By March 2024, Jesse Eisenberg confirmed that he had read the script and expressed hope that filming would begin within six months.[47]
On July 2, 2024, Lionsgate officially announced that Now You See Me 3 would be released on November 14, 2025.[52]
Spin-off film
In July 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Lionsgate was developing a Now You See Me spin-off film featuring a primarily Chinese cast. The project was set to star Jay Chou, reprising his role as Li from Now You See Me 2.[53]
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