The latest installment in the popular magic heist franchise has pulled off an impressive box office victory. Now You See Me: Now You Don't has claimed the top spot at the North American box office during its opening weekend.
Magical Victory Over Competition
Industry estimates released on Sunday revealed that the third chapter in the crime heist series about a group of magicians outperformed Glen Powell's remake of The Running Man. The Lionsgate production generated an impressive $21.3 million in ticket sales from Friday through Sunday across the United States and Canada.
The film brings back familiar faces including Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Woody Harrelson as illusionists who target dangerous criminals in Robin Hood-style operations. This time, the original Four Horsemen who first appeared on screen in 2013 are joined by three younger magicians: Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa, and Justice Smith.
Analyst Insights on Franchise Success
David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research commented on the achievement, noting the difficulty of maintaining franchise momentum. There aren't many crime heist series that reach their third installment because it's challenging to keep these stories fresh, Gross explained. While there's similar content available on television, these particular characters continue to resonate with audiences—they're very compelling figures.
The success of Now You See Me: Now You Don't demonstrates the ongoing appeal of the magical heist concept that first captured audiences in 2013.
Box Office Competition Breakdown
Paramount's The Running Man adaptation secured second place with $17 million in domestic earnings. This new interpretation of Stephen King's dystopian novel about a deadly game show arrives 38 years after the original 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Gross noted about The Running Man's performance: That's a significant time gap between adaptations, and the storyline shows some signs of wear.
Other notable performers in the weekend box office included:
- Predator: Badlands from Disney's 20th Century Studios dropped to third place with $13 million
- Paramount's Regretting You adaptation of Colleen Hoover's romance novel took fourth with $4 million
- Universal's horror sequel Black Phone 2 rounded out the top five with $2.7 million
The complete top ten featured Nuremberg ($2.6 million), Keeper ($2.5 million), Sarah's Oil ($2.3 million), Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc ($1.6 million), and Bugonia ($1.6 million).
