Now You See Me 3 Can Double Down On The Franchise’s Biggest Criticism In The Funniest Way

After many years in development, Now You See Me 3 is happening, and it has the opportunity to double down on the franchise’s criticism in a really fun way. The first movie in the franchise premiered in 2013 with an all-star ensemble including Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman. Since 2013’s Now You See Me was a success, Lionsgate greenlit a sequel, reuniting the original gang sans Fisher and adding more famous names, like Daniel Radcliffe and Lizzy Caplan. The third installment will “reimagine” the Now You See Me franchise, and it has the chance to touch upon a major criticism.

Now You See Me followed a team of magicians pulling off bank heists and robberies during their performance, and it was one of the best heist movies since Ocean’s 11. Both films were commercial successes, bringing in over $300 million worldwide apiece (via The Numbers). The best thing about the first two movies were their virtually impossible tricks, and with Now You See Me 3 confirmed, the next movie should double down on this strength.

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Now You See Me 3 Should Have Real Magic (Seriously)

The Third Film Should Go All In With The Magic

Throughout its first two films, Now You See Me included many virtually impossible magic tricks that were almost real magic. In order to keep the conversation going and double down on the film’s criticism about its use of magic tricks instead of well-defined plots, Now You See Me 3 should go all in and actually use “real” magic in the movie. The most interesting and compelling scenes were the raindrop trick and the hidden card heist scene in Now You See Me 2. There are so many other tricks that could fit well with the franchise’s heist theme and move the story forward.

Despite their commercial success, the two Now You See Me movies received mixed reactions from critics and audiences (via Rotten Tomatoes). Among the biggest criticisms of the films were the use of its real-looking magic tricks. Now You See Me 3 can address this feedback by going all in and putting its effort into even more reality-defying magic. This approach worked well for the Fast & Furious franchise, which is famous for its gravity- and logic-defying scenes. The Fast saga continues to bring moviegoers to the theaters despite choosing visuals over substance, and Now You See Me 3 can benefit from a similar approach.

How Else Now You See Me 3 Can Acknowledge The Franchise’s Bizarre Magic Tricks

Now You See Me 3 Should Get Very Meta

Now You See Me 3 will have a new director — Ruben Fleischer of Venom and Uncharted fame — and a new approach, but it can still acknowledge the franchise’s magic tricks in the best way. A fun storyline would be to have the Four Horsemen stumble across something that appears to be real magic, even outshining their magic tricks. However, as the investigation continues, they can discover that it’s just another trick. That way, Now You See Me 3 can continue using unbelievable and impossible visual maneuvers, all while maintaining endless possibilities for high-quality turns and twists, mysteries, and character development.