Magic Fading? Now You See Me 3 on Track for the Trilogy’s Weakest Box Office
Despite heavy buzz, Lionsgate’s Now You See Me 3 is tracking for a franchise-low opening weekend, with early projections pointing to a slower start than the first two films under director Ruben Fleischer.
If you like your heists with card flourishes and smug grins, the Horsemen are riding back. But early tracking says their big return probably won’t make the kind of opening-weekend splash the first two did.
The early read: softer opening than the first two
Lionsgate’s third film is titled 'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t', and early forecasts have it landing in the high teens to low $20 million range domestically on opening weekend, per Deadline. That would put it close to 'Now You See Me 2' (which kicked off with a little over $22 million back in 2016) and well under the original’s $29 million start (Box Office Mojo’s numbers).
Translation: it may end up as the lowest debut of the trilogy. Not a disaster, just not a magic trick that makes money appear out of thin air.
- Domestic opening tracking: high teens to low $20 million
- Original opened at $29 million; Part 2 did $22+ million
- Rolling out in 3,300 North American theaters and 64 international territories (Variety)
- Production budget: around $90 million
- 'Now You See Me 2' worldwide total: $334.8 million, including $97 million from China
The global outlook is trickier
The first two movies played really well overseas, especially the second one, which got a huge assist from China. This time, analysts expect softer returns abroad because Hollywood titles have been struggling in China since the pandemic. So the franchise’s old safety net may not catch as much this go-round.
Who is back, who is new, and what they are stealing
Ruben Fleischer is directing this one, and the core crew is back: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, and Morgan Freeman. New faces joining the misdirection: Rosamund Pike, Ariana Greenblatt, Justice Smith, and Dominic Sessa.
Story-wise, the Four Horsemen link up with a fresh team of illusionists to pull off a diamond heist. Sleight of hand, shiny rocks, probably some smug grins. You know the vibe.
The franchise factor
Reviews for these movies have always been mixed, but there’s a loyal crowd that shows up for the glossy cons-and-cards spectacle. The chatter is there; the question is whether that translates to a stronger-than-expected opening or just a steady start.
Release date
'Now You See Me: Now You Don’t' hits U.S. theaters on November 14, 2025.