Jesse Eisenberg has starred in both entries to the Now You See Me franchise, and as development of a third film begins, Eisenberg is ready to get “a breath of fresh air” when it comes to his role.
Speaking to ComingSoon, Eisenberg was asked about his interest in Now You See Me 3, to which the actor said production is set to begin next year. As for his role as J. Daniels Atlas, Eisenberg described the character as a much-needed change of pace from some of his more recent roles.
“Yes, yes, yes. We’re supposed to do it early next year,” said Eisenberg, before talking about the differences in his character in that franchise compared to that of his upcoming movie, Manodrome. “I can’t wait. Unlike a movie like this where my character’s experiencing such deep rage, anxiety and depression, my character in that is so confident and is a performer and a showman and it’s just a breath of fresh air, as an actor, to get to live in that kind of world too.”
What do we know about Now You See Me 3?
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Morgan Freeman will all reprise their roles from the first two films, while Venom’s Ruben Fleischer has been tapped to direct. Assassin’s Creed’s Michael Lesslie is working on the current draft of the script, while Alex Kurtzman and Bobby Cohen serve as producers.
Directed by Louis Leterrier, the original Now You See Me was released in United States theaters in May 2013. The film follows a group of magicians — played by Eisenberg, Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco — who pull off bank heists during their performances and then give the stolen money to their audiences. The film also stars Mark Ruffalo, who plays an FBI agent trying to bring the magicians to justice, while Freeman portrays a magic debunker.
Now You See Me made $351.7 million at the worldwide box office with a budget of $75 million. It received mixed reviews from critics.
A sequel, Now You See Me 2, followed in June 2016. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the movie brought back Ruffalo, Harrelson, Franco, Freeman, and Eisnenberg, while Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Radcliffe joined the cast. It also received mixed reviews from critics but made $334 million at the worldwide box office off an estimated $90-120 million budget.
