Now You See Me 2

Now You See Me 2 (also known as Now You See Me: The Second Act) is a 2016 American heist thriller film directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Ed Solomon and a story by Solomon and Peter Chiarelli. It serves as a sequel to 2013's Now You See Me and the second installment in the Now You See Me series. The film stars an ensemble cast that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Jay Chou, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman. The plot has the Four Horsemen and their leader Dylan Rhodes recruited by Walter Mabry, a criminal mastermind, to steal a data chip.

Now You See Me 2
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJon M. Chu
Produced by
Screenplay byEd Solomon
Story by
  • Ed Solomon
  • Peter Chiarelli
Based onCharacters
by Boaz Yakin
Edward Ricourt
Starring
Music byBrian Tyler
CinematographyPeter Deming
Edited byStan Salfas
Production
company
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
  • June 6, 2016 (2016-06-06) (New York City)
  • June 10, 2016 (2016-06-10) (United States)
Running time
129 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget
  • $90 million (gross)[2]
  • $71.4 million (net)[2]
Box office$334.9 million[3]

On July 3, 2013, the film was officially announced to be in development. Filming began in November 2014 and lasted until May 2015. The film was released on June 10, 2016, by Lionsgate. It received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success, grossing $334 million worldwide.

Plot

Eighteen months after escaping the FBI, the fugitive Four Horsemen – J. Daniel Atlas, Merritt McKinney, Jack Wilder, and new member Lula May – await orders from the Eye, the secret society of magicians. The Horsemen’s handler, FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes, delivers their instructions: the Horsemen are to expose corrupt tech CEO Owen Case, whose latest cell phone will secretly collect users’ personal data to sell on the black market. In New York City, the Horsemen hijack the phone’s launch, but are interrupted by a mysterious figure who reveals to the public that Jack faked his death, and that Dylan is working with the Horsemen. Dylan eludes the FBI as the Horsemen escape down a construction chute only to find themselves in Macau.

They are captured by Chase, Merritt’s twin brother, and brought to Walter Mabry, Owen’s former business partner. Having exposed the Horsemen in New York, Walter reveals how they were lulled unconscious and flown to Macau. He explains that Owen took his company from him, as well as a chip designed by Walter to access any computer system in the world. Despite the protests of the other Horsemen, Daniel agrees to steal the chip for Walter before Owen can sell it. They acquire supplies from a magic store owned by Li and Bu Bu, and arrange to deliver the chip to the Eye, knowing they cannot trust Walter. Posing as potential buyers, they infiltrate the Macau Science Center, using cardistry and sleight of hand to sneak the chip past its supervisor, Allen Scott-Frank.

Dylan is contacted by Thaddeus Bradley, the magic debunker he framed for the Horsemen’s crimes. Thaddeus offers his help in finding the Horsemen, and Dylan extradites him from prison. They go to Macau, and Dylan finds Daniel waiting to give the chip to the Eye. Walter arrives, having manipulated Daniel into believing he was in contact with the Eye, and Dylan fights Walter’s men as Daniel escapes with the chip. Captured, Dylan discovers Walter is the son of Arthur Tressler, whose fortune Dylan and the Horsemen stole. Walter and Arthur lock Dylan in a safe and drop him underwater, mirroring the death of Dylan’s father. Arthur pays Thaddeus for bringing him Dylan, and Thaddeus promises to deliver the Horsemen as well. Dylan escapes from the safe and is rescued by the Horsemen. Realizing the chip they have is a fake, they resolve to stop Walter from acquiring the real chip, and are joined by Li and Bu Bu.

The Horsemen announce a new performance in London, with an implicit threat to expose Walter, who flies to London with Arthur and Chase in a private jet. On New Year’s Eve, the Horsemen perform across the city, but they and Dylan are captured by Walter’s men and brought to the jet. Once in the air, they are forced to hand over the fake chip, which Walter confirms is real. Dylan and the Horsemen are thrown out of the plane, which is revealed to be a set floating on the Thames. They explain how they had misled the three into thinking they had won and reveal Jack had hypnotized Chase into throwing them out of the plane as planned. Walter, Arthur, and Chase’s misdeeds are broadcast to the crowd and around the world, and they are taken into FBI custody as Dylan and the Horsemen escape before the FBI can apprehend them. They arrive at the Greenwich Observatory, where they meet other members of the Eye, including Li, Bu Bu, and Allen. Their leader is revealed to be Thaddeus, who explains to Dylan that he was actually his father’s partner in magic and was pretending to be his rival this whole time. He appoints Dylan the new leader, and the Horsemen are shown a secret entrance to see more of the Eye.

Cast
  • Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas. He is a member of the Four Horsemen.
  • Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes, a former FBI agent, the leader of the Four Horsemen and the son of the late illusionist Lionel Shrike.
  • Woody Harrelson as Merritt and Chase McKinney, members of the Four Horsemen.[4] 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.[5]
  • Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, a magic debunker, exposing the tricks of other magicians and the grandmaster of the Eye and a friend of Lionel Shrike.[6]
  • Jay Chou as Li, a Macanese magic shop owner.
  • Sanaa Lathan as FBI Deputy Director Natalie Austin, 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.
  • Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Allen Scott-Frank, head of the Macau Science Center and member of the Eye.
  • Ben Lamb as Owen Case, Walter's former business partner.
  • David Warshofsky as FBI Agent Cowan.
  • Tsai Chin as Bu Bu, Li's grandmother, who owns a magic shop in Macau.
  • Richard Laing as Lionel Shrike, a magician who drowned while performing an escape trick thirty years ago.

Production

On July 3, 2013, after the box office success of the first film, Lions Gate Entertainment CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed that there would be a sequel to the film, with production beginning in 2014 for an unspecified release date.[7] In September 2014, it was confirmed that Jon M. Chu would replace Louis Leterrier as director.[8] On October 2, 2014, Michael Caine confirmed in an interview that Daniel Radcliffe would be playing his son in the film and that shooting is expected to begin in December in London.[9] The film was produced by Summit Entertainment and K/O Paper Products.[10] In October 2014, it was announced that Isla Fisher would be unable to reprise her role as Henley Reeves due to her pregnancy and Lizzy Caplan was cast as new character Lula to replace her as the Fourth Horseman.[11][12] The sequel was thought to be titled Now You See Me: Now You Don't,[12] with the director pushing for that name,[13] but the studio call announced in November 2014 was that the film had changed its title to Now You See Me: The Second Act.[14][15] On January 28, 2015, Henry Lloyd-Hughes was confirmed to play the role of a tech whiz kid named Allen Scott-Frank.[16] On December 22, 2014, it was reported that Morgan Freeman was not going to reprise his role as Thaddeus Bradley,[17] but on January 19, 2015, film director Chu posted a selfie with Freeman on his Instagram, verifying that he would return.[6]

Filming

On November 25, 2014, Mark Ruffalo posted to his Facebook that filming had begun on the sequel,[18] as the film was shooting in London, England.[11] On March 11, 2015, shooting began in China, where filming took place in Macau and the Macau Science Center, and ended on May 12, 2015 in New York City.[19]

Theme song

"Now You See Me" By Jay Chou[20]

Soundtrack
Now You See Me 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
Brian Tyler
ReleasedJune 10, 2016
Recorded2016
GenreFilm score
Length77:37
LabelVarèse Sarabande
ProducerBrian Tyler
Brian Tyler film scores chronology
Criminal
(2016)		 Now You See Me 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2016)		 Power Rangers
(2017)

The film's music was written and composed by Brian Tyler. The soundtrack was released on June 10, 2016 by Varèse Sarabande.

All music is composed by Brian Tyler.

No.TitleLength
1."Now You See Me 2 Fanfare"3:20
2."Now You See Me 2 Main Titles"3:00
3."300 Seconds"7:25
4."The Setup"5:45
5."Sleight of Hand"5:52
6."Revelatory"1:24
7."A Special Invitation"4:38
8."Equivoque"3:18
9."Off The Grid (Walter's Theme)"2:13
10."Trifecta"3:53
11."The Fool"1:55
12."Buffy the Chippie"2:58
13."Behind the Curtain"4:10
14."Thaddeus' Game"2:23
15."Octa"1:37
16."United"1:36
17."Deliverance"4:10
18."Diversion Tactics"4:34
19."Sibling Rivalry"1:55
20."Bazaar Getaway"2:09
21."The New Horseman"1:05
22."See You in 3 to 5"1:41
23."The Big Finish"3:56
24."Finale"2:40
Total length:77:37

Release

In November 2014, the film was officially titled Now You See Me 2, and was set to be released on June 10, 2016.[18][8] In March 2016, the film's international release date was announced as July 4, 2016.

Now You See Me 2 was released on Digital HD on August 19, with a subsequent Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD released on September 6.[21]

Reception

Box office

Now You See Me 2 grossed $65.1 million in the United States and Canada and $269.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $334.9 million, against a budget of $90 million.[3]

In the United States and Canada, Now You See Me 2 opened on June 10, 2016, alongside Warcraft and The Conjuring 2, and was projected to gross $23–26 million from 3,232 theaters in its opening weekend.[22][23] The film grossed $1.8 million from its Thursday night previews, besting the $1.5 million made by its predecessor, and $8.4 million on its first day.[24][25] It went on to gross $22.3 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the 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 had an opening day of $14.8 million, a record for Lionsgate and up 67.9% from the original's first day. In its opening weekend the film grossed $44.4 million, also a record for Lionsgate.[27] China was the largest territory for the film, with a total gross of $97.1 million.[28]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 34% based on 191 reviews, with an average rating of 4.85/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "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 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[30] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, the same score earned by its predecessor.[25]

Although critics and fans were disappointed that Isla Fisher was not returning as Henley Reeves, many praised Lizzy Caplan's addition to the cast. Caplan was described as "one of the sequel's biggest improvements" by Entertainment Weekly,[31] while Dave White of TheWrap wrote that she "provides a fresh infusion of smart-ass energy into the boy's club."[32] Australian film magazine Filmink also noted that Caplan "over-shadows her skilled co-stars with her sassy and commanding screen presence."[33] Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that "all bearded creepy grins, [Daniel Radcliffe] makes Walter a megalomaniac imp, like the world's youngest Bond villain."[34] Randy Cordova of The Arizona Republic, who preferred the film to the original, said of the villain character that "In [Radcliffe's] hands, he is a spoiled and petulant baddie, alternately creepy and hilarious."[35]

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club wrote that the sequel "up[s] the ludicrous quotient" from the original, "double-timing the convoluted plotting and embracing implausibility as an aesthetic...[I]f [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, at least for a movie about a superstar heist crew called the Horsemen that involves twins, multiple secret identities, and a global corporate surveillance plot that can only be foiled through the use of stage magic."[36]

Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film a mixed review but considered it "more fun" than its predecessor.[37]

Accolades

At the Teen Choice Awards held July 31, 2016 the movie was nominated as Choice Summer Movie, Dave Franco was nominated as Choice Summer Movie Star: Male and Lizzy Caplan was nominated as Choice Summer Movie Star: Female. [38]

Future

Sequel

In May 2015, Lions Gate Entertainment CEO Jon Feltheimer announced that they had "already begun early planning" for a sequel called Now You See Me 3.[39] It was later confirmed that Lizzy Caplan would reprise the role of Lula May, and Benedict Cumberbatch would join as a new cast member.[40][41][42] Lionsgate revealed in April 2020 that Eric Warren Singer would be the screenwriter for the film.[43]

Spin-off film

In July 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Lionsgate plans on making a Now You See Me spin-off with a primarily Chinese cast, starring Jay Chou as Li, his character from Now You See Me 2.[44]

References
  1. "NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  2. FilmL.A. (June 2017). "2016 Feature Film Study" (PDF). Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  3. "Now You See Me 2 (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  4. Zwecker, Bill (June 6, 2016). "Harrelson creates very different twins in 'Now You See Me 2'". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  5. D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 20, 2014). "Sanaa Lathan To Arrest Tricksters In 'Now You See Me 2'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  6. Gill, James (January 20, 2015). "First look at Daniel Radcliffe in magic heist Now You See Me 2". Radio Times. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  7. Brew, Simon (August 13, 2013). "'Now You See Me' to get sequel". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  8. "Lionsgate Sets Dates for Now You See Me 2 and Dirty Grandpa". ComingSoon.net. September 9, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  9. "Daniel Radcliffe to Play Michael Caine's Son in NOW YOU SEE ME 2". GeekTyrant.com. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  10. "Film Briefs: Weinsteins Will Distribute Quentin Tarantino's 'Hateful Eight' Worldwide; Lionsgate, eOne Expand Joint Agreement". Deadline Hollywood. September 3, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  11. Peter Sciretta (November 4, 2014). "Now You See Me 2 Cast And Plot Revealed". Slash Film. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  12. Lily Aria (November 13, 2014). "'Now You See Me 2' Release Date, Updates And News: Officially Titled 'Now You See Me: Now You Don't;' Plot Revealed, Confirmed New Cast Includes Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan And Jay Chou". Franchise Herald. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  13. "Now You See Me 2 trailer: Jon M. Chu answers questions".
  14. Adam Chitwood (November 25, 2014). "NOW YOU SEE ME 2 Title Revealed". Collider. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  15. H. Shaw-Williams. "'Now You See Me 2′ Official Title Revealed". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  16. Tartaglione, Nancy (January 28, 2015). "Henry Lloyd-Hughes Conjures Role In 'Now You See Me: The Second Act'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  17. Aria, Lily (December 22, 2014). "Official Title For 'Now You See Me' Sequel Revealed: 'Now You See Me 2: The Second Act' Release Date Set For 2016; Cast Details And Plot Unleashead". Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  18. Mark Ruffalo. "And so it begins... Now You See Me...again". Mark Ruffalo's Verified Facebook. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  19. "Daniel Radcliffe Filming a new Project". the-leaky-cauldron.org. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  20. 周杰倫 Jay Chou 【Now You See Me】Official MV (120s)
  21. Alexander, Jim. "Now You See Me 2 Home Release Date Announcement". The Movie Blog. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  22. "Box Office: 'Conjuring 2' to Ward Off 'Warcraft,' 'Now You See Me 2'". Variety.com.
  23. Dave McNarry (May 27, 2016). "'Warcraft' Opens in First in 11 International Markets With $9.3 Million". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  24. "'Warcraft' Invades The U.S. On Thursday Night". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  25. "'Conjuring 2' Screams Up $37M+, 'Warcraft' Spoils At $26M+, 'Now You See Me 2' At $22M+". Deadline Hollywood.
  26. Scott Mendelson (June 12, 2016). "Weekend Box Office: 'Now You See Me 2' Steals $23 Million Debut". Forbes. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  27. Nancy Tartaglione (June 25, 2016). "'Now You See Me 2' Conjuring Record China Weekend Bow For Lionsgate – Intl Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  28. "Now You See Me 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  29. "Now You See Me 2 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  30. "Now You See Me 2 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  31. Greenblatt, Leah (June 7, 2016). "Now You See Me2: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  32. White, Dave (June 1, 2016). "'Now You See Me 2' Review". TheWrap. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  33. Watson, Sophia (June 17, 2016). "Review: Now You See Me 2". Filmink. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  34. Gleiberman, Owen (June 1, 2016). "Film Review: 'Now You See Me 2'". Variety. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  35. Cordova, Randy. "'Now You See Me 2' surpasses original." The Arizona Republic (newspaper). June 10, 2016.
  36. Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (June 9, 2016). "Now You See Me 2 doubles down on giddy ludicrousness". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  37. Chicago Tribune review of Now You See Me 2
  38. Goodman, Jessica (July 31, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016: See the full list of winners". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  39. McNary, Dave (May 22, 2015). "'Now You See Me 3' in the Works at Lionsgate". Variety. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  40. Lawrence, Sophie (December 2, 2016). "'Now You See Me 3' Release Date Confirmed As Production Rolls In Plus A New Cast Member To Join The Gang". Parent Herald. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  41. Espiritu, Emmanuelle (March 7, 2017). "'Now You See Me 3' Release Date, Cast News: Isla Fisher Officially Out, Benedict Cumbercatch In?". The Christian Post. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  42. Jabin, Bhatz (March 31, 2017). "'Now You See Me 3' Update: Benedict Cumberbatch Reportedly Joins Cast". Travelers Today. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  43. Kroll, Justin (April 28, 2020). "'Now You See Me 3' in the Works With 'American Hustle' Writer". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  44. Brzeski, Patrick (July 15, 2016). "Lionsgate to Make Chinese Spinoff of 'Now You See Me' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
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