The magical heist is back, but this time it's a little shorter. Now You See Me: Now You Don't, the highly anticipated third instalment in the popular franchise, has finally landed in cinemas, and it brings with it a runtime that breaks a series tradition.
The Magic Number: Film Length and Box Office Success
For fans eager to plan their cinema trip, the crucial detail is this: Now You See Me 3 has a runtime of approximately 113 minutes, or one hour and 53 minutes. This makes it the briefest adventure of the Four Horsemen to date. The original 2013 film, Now You See Me, ran for 115 minutes, while the 2016 sequel, Now You See Me 2, was a lengthier 128 minutes.
Despite its shorter duration, the threequel has proven to be a formidable force at the box office. The film conjured up an impressive opening in the United States, pulling in an estimated £15.9 million ($21 million). According to industry reports from Deadline, its total global haul has reached an estimated £57.4 million ($75 million), with a significant £14 million ($19.2 million) contributed from audiences in China. Its success was powerful enough to dethrone the Glenn Powell-fronted remake of The Running Man from the top spot.
A New Generation of Illusionists and a Glittering Mission
The plot of Now You See Me 3 sees the original Four Horsemen recruiting fresh talent. The story begins when a dazzling deepfake stunt captures their attention. This leads them to three new illusionists: Charlie Vanderberg (Justice Smith), Bosco Leroy (Dominic Sessa), and June McClure (Ariana Greenblatt).
This new trio stages an audacious show, using holograms and deepfakes to impersonate the legendary Horsemen. Their first act involves robbing a corrupt cryptocurrency exchange and distributing the wealth to the audience. Their skills impress J. Daniel 'Danny' Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), who approaches them on behalf of the secret society, The Eye.
Their new mission is a high-stakes theft: they must steal the world's largest diamond from Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), the owner of a precious stones company who is involved in money laundering and has family links to the Nazis. They are joined by the returning main cast, including Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Morgan Freeman, and Mark Ruffalo.
The Future is Bright: Now You See Me 4 Confirmed
For the loyal fandom wondering what's next, the future looks promising. A fourth Now You See Me film has already been confirmed, with director Ruben Fleischer set to return. Fleischer expressed his enthusiasm, stating that directing the third film was a career highlight, combining his love for heist movies and magic.
The threequel actively sets up the next chapter with a post-credits scene, in which The Eye presents the new generation of Horsemen with another daring mission. While the film has received a mixed response from critics, fans on platforms like IMDb have been far more positive, praising it as 'pure fun and entertaining' and celebrating the blend of old and new cast members.
Now You See Me: Now You Don't is now screening in cinemas across the UK.
