Now You See Me 3 Lands Venom and Uncharted Director Ruben Fleischer

By Jenna Anderson

Venom and Uncharted director Ruben Fleischer has found his next franchise. On Thursday, Lionsgate confirmed that Fleischer is set to helm a new Now You See Me movie, which will be the franchise's third installment thus far. The original heist drama, which premiered in 2013, was helmed by Louis Leterrier, while the 2016 sequel Now You See Me 2 was directed by Jon M. Chu. According to the studio, the third Now You See Me film will feature the thieving illusionists known as the Four Horseman, while introducing audiences to a new generation of characters. The ensemble cast of the films has included Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan, and Daniel Radcliffe. The film has been in the works since 2015, with reports at the time indicating that Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch would be joining the cast.

Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Green Lantern) is set to write the latest draft of the script, which was originally written by Top Gun: Maverick and American Hustle's Eric Warren Singer.

"There are three things in this world I absolutely love… Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and magic," Fleisher said in a statement, acknowledging his work with Eisenberg and Harrelson in the Zombieland films. "To have the chance to work with these two talented actors, as well as rest of the incredible cast of the Now You See Me movies is a dream come true. I am a lifelong fan of heist movies – I love getting drawn in by the twists and the mystery where nothing is what it seems. And that's even more true when the thieves are magicians – the opportunities are endless.  Eric was able to unlock a fresh and exciting way into a new movie and fun new characters, so I'm excited to dig in even further."

"Ruben has proven time and again that he has a special talent with character-driven blockbuster entertainment," Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Nathan Kahane echoed. "He delivers big excitement while ultimately keeping the focus on the characters audiences care about. We feel like we've assembled a dream team to get this movie off the ground. For everyone we've kept in suspense, the wait is almost over."

What do you think of Fleisher directing the third Now You See Me movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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