Now You See Me 3 Steals the Box Office with Strong Opening Weekend

The magician heist film “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t“ successfully pulled off a box office win, taking first place in its opening weekend. The threequel, which returned to theaters after nearly a decade, earned an estimated $21.3 million domestically, outperforming the new Glen Powell action film “The Running Man.”

The film’s magic extended worldwide, pulling in $75.5 million globally after earning $54.2 million from 64 international territories. This solid opening revives a franchise that had been absent since 2016.

How the Box Office Battle Unfolded

The weekend featured a close race between two new films. “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” started its trick on Friday, heisting $8.4 million from preview screenings and opening day shows. This set it on a path to surpass its high-profile competitor.

“The Running Man,” a new adaptation of Stephen King’s novel directed by Edgar Wright, opened in second place with $17 million. The film had a more challenging start given its reported $110 million production budget. Its global total reached $28.2 million.

In its second weekend, “Predator: Badlands” dropped to third place, adding $13 million to its domestic total.

A Franchise Returns After a Decade

The third “Now You See Me” film arrives nine years after the last installment. The first two movies, released in 2013 and 2016, were commercial successes, earning a combined $686 million worldwide.

Director Ruben Fleischer took the helm for this sequel, bringing back the original stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco as the troupe of Robin Hood-like illusionists. The film also introduces new magicians played by Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Justice Smith. With a fourth film already in development, the franchise’s future looks solid.

The film attracted a slightly female-majority audience, with women making up 54% of the opening weekend crowd.

Audience and Critical Reception

Audiences have responded positively to the film’s return. Moviegoers gave the film a B+ grade in CinemaScore exit polls. According to PostTrak, 63% of viewers said they would definitely recommend it.

Reviews from critics were mixed. The film holds a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is actually the best score for any film in the trilogy so far.

“The Running Man” also received a B+ CinemaScore from audiences, with 58% saying they would recommend it. Its audience was more male, with men comprising 63% of its opening weekend ticket buyers.

The Wider Box Office Landscape

Other films in the top five included “Regretting You” in fourth place with $4 million and “Black Phone 2” in fifth with $2.7 million.

The horror film “Keeper,” another new release, had a difficult opening. It earned just $2.6 million and received a D+ grade from CinemaScore audiences.

The box office is expected to see major activity in the coming weeks with the releases of “Wicked: For Good” and “Zootopia 2” around the Thanksgiving holiday. Industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian suggested it could be one of the highest-grossing five-day Thanksgiving periods ever.

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