NEED TO KNOW
Jesse Eisenberg chooses favorites when it comes to his big-screen career.
The Oscar nominee, 42, told PEOPLE about the upcoming third installment in the Now You See Me franchise, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, sharing that he could make more sequels forever.
“This is my absolute favorite character to play,” says Eisenberg. “I wish there were 10 more Now You See Me movies.”
The actor returns as magician J. Daniel “Danny” Atlas in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, leading the Horsemen for the third time after Now You See Me (2013) and Now You See Me 2 (2016).
“My character is this confident performer who thinks he’s amazing,” Eisenberg says. “And it is such a treat to get to live in those shoes.”
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Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate
Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is the newest film in the franchise that follows a team of illusionists as they use their stage productions to perform elaborate heists.
A logline teases, “The Four Horsemen return along with a new generation of illusionists performing mind-melding twists, turns, surprises and magic unlike anything ever captured on film.”
Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt join returning stars Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco in the sequel.
Eisenberg says he “love(s) the dynamic with the new Horsemen,” especially considering “my character is already kind of a condescending guy.”
“And teaching these young kids brought out an extra level of condescension,” he jokes. “They were so great to play off of — they’re funny and very quick. And they certainly knew how to fight back.”
Fisher, 49, tells PEOPLE it was “such a joy” coming back to the franchise after nearly a decade away, and that it “felt a little like a family reunion” — albeit “maybe a dysfunctional family,” she jokes.
“We already had this incredible shorthand from the first two films, so slipping back into that dynamic was easy and really fun,” she says. “But at the same time, enough years have passed that it felt fresh and new, almost like rediscovering the magic all over again.”
Katalin Vermes
On the newcomer side, Fisher says, “It was so exciting” to see the new Horsemen in action, as “they bring this great energy” to the new movie and “shake things up in the best possible way.”
“Watching them step into the world of the Horsemen, while also adding their own style and humor and quirky charm, made the whole experience feel bigger and more surprising,” she adds. “I kind of developed a deep and different relationship with each one … I truly love them.”
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is in theaters Nov. 14.
