The 2013 stage-magician thriller Now You See Me was an unexpected hit when it arrived in theaters, earning more than $351 million worldwide with its ensemble-fueled caper about a group of illusionists who team up for a massive heist. The film’s impressive success made a sequel inevitable, and now the first trailer for Now You See Me 2 has arrived online, courtesy of Lionsgate Pictures.
Set one year after the events of the first film, Now You See Me 2 reunites the stage magicians collectively known as “The Four Horsemen” — played by Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, and Lizzy Caplan (who replaces Isla Fisher) — for another high-stakes heist. This time around, the group finds their considerable talents pitted against a new, clever foe who forces them to work for him. Now framed and on the run again, the group must pull off another, even more dangerous heist in order to clear their names.
Now You See Me screenwriter Ed Solomon returns to co-write the sequel with The Proposal screenwriter Pete Chiarelli, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Step Up 3D filmmaker Jon Chu takes over as director from Louis Leterrier.
Along with Harrelson, Eisenberg, Franco, and Caplan, the film also features the return of Now You See Me cast members Mark Ruffalo (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Michael Caine (The Dark Knight), and Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption). New additions to the cast include Harry Potter franchise star Daniel Radcliffe, as well as The Green Hornet and The Interview actor Jay Chou.
A third film in the franchise has already been announced and is reportedly in the planning stages at the studio, with production expected to begin quickly if the sequel performs well.
Now You See Me 2 is scheduled to hit theaters June 10, 2016.
