Jesse Eisenberg Now You See Me 2

Cast: Morgan Freeman, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe
Director: Jon M. Chu
Genre: Action, Comedy

Synopsis: The master magicians known as the Four Horsemen return for their most daring and astounding caper ever, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights in hopes of clearing their names and exposing the ruthlessness of a dangerous tech magnate.

One year after their astonishing Robin Hood-­style magic shows win the public's adulation and confound the FBI, the quartet resurfaces for a dazzling comeback performance that will make their previous escapades seem like child's play. With the help of FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), the Horsemen – J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and new addition Lula (Lizzy Caplan) – mount a meticulously planned surprise appearance, in hopes of exposing corrupt tech tycoon Owen Case (Ben Lamb).

But their scheme backfires, exposing Dylan's involvement with the Horsemen and sending all five of them back on the run. To regain their freedom and their reputations they are forced by wealthy tech magnate Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) to recover an unimaginably powerful computer chip stolen by his treacherous former business partner – none other than Owen Case. The Horsemen soon find themselves once again squaring off against unscrupulous businessman Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and professional skeptic Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) as they attempt to accomplish the most difficult heist of their careers – but even they cannot anticipate the ultimate surprise awaiting them.

Now You See Me 2
Release Date: June 2nd, 2016

 

About The Production

 

In 2013, Now You See Me mesmerized the world with the David and Goliath escapades of the Four Horsemen, a preternaturally gifted group of professional illusionists who pull off daring heists at the expense of a corrupt billionaire. Now You See Me 2 brings back the talented group in a lightning-­paced global adventure that blurs the line between heroes and villains as the Horsemen continue their mission armed only with their imaginations, skill and camaraderie.

The success of the first film, which grossed over $300 million worldwide and earned the People's Choice Award for Favourite Movie Thriller, made the Horsemen's return to the screen inevitable, helmed this time by director Jon M. Chu, whose previous credits include two chapters of the popular Step Up series and the 2013 concert film Justin Bieber's Believe. With expertise in movement, technology and cutting-­edge design, Chu brought just the combination of skills the producers were looking for to make big, bold and innovative on-­ screen magic.

A big fan of Now You See Me, Jon M. Chu jumped at the chance to work with a cast full of world- class actors, including five Oscar winners and nominees, to make a movie combining magic, storytelling and mystery. 'This script was so much fun to work on," he continues. 'However this time around, we get to be with the Horsemen as they are trapped in a magic trick themselves and have to use their illusionist skills to get out. Ed Solomon is a brilliant writer and combines intricate story architecture with a breezy pace and fun tone that makes the movie an event for the whole family."

If directing a sequel to a massively successful movie presented a daunting challenge, it was one Jon M. Chu was anxious to take on. 'I admire everyone involved with this film," he says. 'When we all sat down together, it was very intimidating. But everyone was focused on making a great movie, so the collaboration was amazing."

Producer Bobby Cohen, a veteran of Now You See Me, happily returned to work on the second chapter. 'When we made the first film, we loved it and knew we were on to something, but it never even occurred to us that we would make a sequel. It was very gratifying to be able to call the people who took that original leap of faith with us and say, -What do you think about doing another one?'"

Writer Ed Solomon, who co-­wrote the first film, collaborated with Peter Chiarelli on the new story, which incorporates even more magic, intrigue and action, as well as an international setting. His goal was to capture the spirit of the original movie while reinventing the concept. 'We have this group of characters that we really love hanging out with," Ed Solomon says. 'What could be different this time? We had the idea of presenting them with a magic trick that they get trapped in and have to figure their way out of. We thought that would be exciting and fun, while giving us a lot to work with."

In Now You See Me 2 the filmmakers have shifted from a performance-oriented heist movie to something harder to categorise, in Ed Solomon's opinion. 'For me, movies that defy easy classification are the most successful," he says. 'I can't describe what this genre is. It's been called a spy-thriller or a caper movie. Some people call it a magic-­comedy. It's a little bit of all of those things. We tried to create the feeling that you're watching a really great magician at work. You know you're being fooled, but you don't know how it's being done. It is a slightly heightened reality with characters who are a little bit smarter than most people, people who have skills that seem almost like super powers."

The audience will feel like they are watching first hand as great magicians do their best work, according to the screenwriter, whose numerous past credits include Men in Black and cult-­classic Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. 'You should have that dual response that magic so often evokes," Ed Solomon says. 'You are amazed by what you are seeing even though you know you're being fooled. You're excited to see where it will take you. There's that wonderful suspension of disbelief."

Ed Solomon praises Jon M. Chu's on-set demeanour, as well as his innate filmmaking instincts. 'There are so many things that I really like about working with Jon M. Chu," says the screenwriter. 'He's very trusting of the artists around him because he believes they will bring their best work to the movie. Just knowing he believes that makes people strive to do it. He's got an incredible eye and he's really good with choreography and movement. His rapport with the actors is great. Jon runs a really calm and easy set, and given how complicated this movie is, that's a really great place to be."

'I've known Jon M. Chu for about ten years," says Bobby Cohen. 'He had just come out of USC film school, where he made an extraordinary short that was a full-­fledged musical. He was one of the first people we thought of for this. He really understands that choreography and movement within a frame is essential to what magicians do."

Now You See Me 2 picks up one year after the first film ends, with the Horsemen in hiding and waiting to find out what the mysterious secret society of magicians known as The Eye will ask of them next. Although the Horsemen's nemesis, Thaddeus Bradley, a notorious debunker of magic, has been framed for their crimes and jailed, the magicians remain the subjects of an FBI manhunt.

'In the first movie, the Horsemen know their plan before we do," says Bobby Cohen. 'The audience has the pleasure of trying to figure it out. This time, things go wrong very quickly for the Horsemen. The audience can look forward to watching a movie that has a bigger scope, bigger laughs and bigger action, while going deeper into the mythology of The Eye. We have impressive magic tricks, more puzzles, more surprises and so much more fun."

At the heart of this film, like that of its predecessor, is a sense of adventure and wonder, says Ed Solomon. 'I hope it's at least as much fun for the audience to watch as it was for us to make," he adds. 'I think people love magic for the same reason they love jokes. It's the element of surprise. You know it's a game, but you feel safe. People love watching an expert doing something they don't quite understand and trying to get to the bottom of that mystery."

Conjuring Up the Perfect Cast

With an extraordinary cast that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine in the roles they originated, as well as newcomers Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Sanaa Lathan and Jay Chou, Now You See Me 2 delivers the chemistry, excitement and mystery of the original as well as an innovative new story. 'We've got some of the greatest actors working today in a film showcasing epic-­ scale magic," says Ed Solomon.

Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo (Best Supporting Actor, Spotlight, 2015), reprises his role as Dylan Rhodes, the FBI agent who was born into the world of magic. Revealed to the Horsemen as a member of The Eye in the first film, Dylan is still with the FBI and still trying to keep his past under wraps. A tremendously skilled magician himself, Dylan might prefer to be performing with the Horsemen, but his considerable talents are best used behind the scenes, where his skills can circumvent the stickiest situations.

'What better person could you ever have in your movie than Mark Ruffalo?" asks Jon M. Chu. 'He is the kindest, most talented person I've ever met. Mark Ruffalo was the leader on our set. As soon as he walked in, his energy was contagious. His performance is brilliant. He is the anchor and it was so nice to have him in our movie."

After having a blast making the first film, Mark Ruffalo was happy to return for the sequel. 'The movies have the same joie de vivre we have with each other in real life," he says. 'This is a little bit grander than the first one. The payoff is a final, big magic trick that is mind-blowing and really satisfying."

In the first film, the audience is led to believe that Dylan is a bumbling FBI agent constantly being outsmarted by the Horsemen. By the end of the film however, it is revealed that he has orchestrated virtually everything that happens. 'We know what he's up to this time, but it isn't going smoothly," Mark Ruffalo says. 'They're trying to expose a tech upstart who has figured out how to put a backdoor on all kinds of encryption in order to steal information. The whole game is to expose this guy, but it quickly starts to go sideways. At the same time, Atlas is questioning Dylan's leadership and his credibility at the FBI is in question. He's in a bit of a crisis. For him, the journey is really to find himself, whatever that means."
To reach his ultimate goal, Dylan has to rely on Thaddeus Bradley, a man he had unjustly imprisoned. 'That makes him very uncomfortable," says Mark Ruffalo. 'It gives Thaddeus all the power in the relationship and he uses that to exact his revenge on Dylan, in the form of a humiliating comeuppance."

Working with Jon M. Chu, there was never a dull moment on set, says the actor, and the director's unique skills elevated the movie. 'What he does beautifully is choreography," says Mark Ruffalo. 'The way he moves the camera is really specific, but also really imaginative. He reveals the story like a magic trick, peeling back layer after layer. He's brought the franchise a really high-tech feeling to take it one step further."

As J. Daniel Atlas, the charismatic, arrogant leader of the Horsemen, Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg provides the brains behind the operation, always one step ahead of everybody else. Atlas is a sleight-of-hand expert and all-around master illusionist, but he also has a powerful grasp of human psychology that allows him to manipulate others with ease.

'Jesse Eisenberg is brilliant both as a human being and an actor," says Jon M. Chu. 'I admire him so much. No matter how I imagine a scene being played out, he always creates something more unique and more honest than anyone I've ever worked with. So it's a pleasure and an honour to watch him work and try to capture as much of his nuance as possible on camera. I think he's a living legend already at such a young age and I look forward to both working with him and seeing his work for years to come."

Shooting the original Now You See Me had an almost experimental feeling, remembers Jesse Eisenberg. Throughout the production, the filmmakers were actively discovering the right tone for their story. 'We were trying to figure out how dramatic it could be, how funny it could be, how splashy it could be without compromising what made it feel real and intense. That was difficult to balance. This time, we had already established the right blend of humour, intensity and showmanship."

Another significant difference with the sequel is its point of view, says Jesse Eisenberg. 'In the first movie, you're with the FBI agents tracking these enigmatic performers who seemingly drop in from nowhere, perform great feats with perfect precision and then disappear. Now we're behind the scenes with the Horsemen as they use all their combined skills to try to get out of this mess. You get to see new sides of our characters."

Just as the film pushes the limits of illusion, Jon M. Chu pushes the limits of how films can be made, says Jesse Eisenberg. 'Jon M. Chu used techniques on this movie that have never been used before. His interest in finding out what technology can do for cinema totally mirrors what the Horsemen do with magic. He engages the audience in a totally interactive and self-aware way."

Merritt McKinney, played by two-time Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, is the hypnotist of the gang, a trickster who can seemingly hack his way into other people's minds. Merritt has an uncanny ability to discern thoughts through observation and deduction. And because the filmmakers decided to delve a bit more deeply into the character's history, Woody Harrelson got a chance to play a second role – Chase McKinney, Merritt's twin brother and a rogue mentalist with a grudge against his sibling.

'At some point we said, wouldn't it be really funny if Woody went up against Woody Harrelson?" recalls Bobby Cohen. 'When we asked if he was interested, it took him about two seconds to say yes. He's got different hair and a different wardrobe, and he came up with a completely different character that has, in many ways, the same charm that Merritt does, but in a different way."

Woody Harrelson enjoys a reputation as a laidback guy, but on set he was the epitome of professionalism, according to Jon M. Chu. 'His comedic timing is perfect," says the director. 'He hits every mark every time. But he's also the life of the party. Everybody wants to hang out with him. For him to play two characters was really fun. He created this crazy Chase character with perfect teeth, perfect hair, this weird tan and he just had fun with it."

Woody Harrelson so loved the experience of making the first movie that he was eager to jump into the sequel. 'There was so much more to explore in this magician-heist-thriller, and I was excited to do it," he says. 'We all have a great deal of affection for each other, so it was fun to be hanging out 12 hours a day, making each other laugh."

Writer Ed Solomon created another strong, intricate, original script, says Woody Harrelson. 'Ed Solomon was relentless in his efforts to make this great. There's so much going on in the story and everybody rose to the occasion. Everyone I know who's seen it has said the same thing at the end – -It's over already?' They wanted it to keep going. I think we've done that really magical thing that rarely happens – a sequel that's better than the original."

Fitting into a cast that already has a close bond could have been a challenge for a director, observes the actor, but Jon M. Chu rose to the occasion. 'It's hard to come into a group where almost everybody else knows each other. Who knows if you're going to jibe? Obviously the director's the most important guy on the set, so you're hoping that he's a great guy and Jon is. He knows how to make the script sing and jump off the page."

Master pickpocket and cardistry expert Jack Wilder is played by Dave Franco, who learned to fling, flip, rotate and juggle playing cards with amazing speed and accuracy. Chock full of action, humour and drama, Now You See Me 2 has all the things Dave Franco says he looks for in a script.

'It really caters to everything I love to do as an actor," he says. 'The cast was another huge reason I was excited to come back. I get to play off some of the best actors in the world and they make it so easy. Even though we were working extremely long hours on complicated set pieces, the days went by so quickly. I don't know if I laugh as hard with anyone else in my life as I do with this cast."

At the end of the first movie, Jack has faked his own death. The Horsemen are all in hiding and awaiting their next mission from The Eye. 'We are asked to take down a giant tech company that has been selling user information on the black market," says Dave Franco. 'In the midst of trying to expose them, something goes terribly wrong and our backs are against the wall. We spend the rest of the movie trying to figure out who's behind all of this and how we can manage to regain control. But to do that the Horsemen need to remember how to work as a single organism. We've all been doing our own things and we have forgotten how to work together."

An additional complication is that Henley (Isla Fisher) is no longer with the Horsemen. For someone as bold and brassy as Henley, living incognito is simply too much for her – not to mention that Atlas is more concerned with finding out who really runs The Eye than he is paying proper attention to Henley, who is still in love with him. However, with Henley off to pursue other opportunities, we now introduce a new wild card to the team – Lula, the new female Horseman, played by Lizzy Caplan.
Lula is a 'geek magician" whose work is meant to shock. She is introduced to Atlas when she beheads herself in his living room. 'She's sweet and bubbly on the surface, but her magic has a real bloodlust," says Ed Solomon. 'She's a super fun character, both to write and to watch, and it gets even better when it's performed by somebody like Lizzy Caplan."

Being able to give as good as she gets was essential for fitting into the mostly male cast. 'Lizzy Caplan throws a new element into this mix, because she can hit right back at them," says Jon M. Chu. 'She's dirtier than all of them put together. If any of them made any sort of joke, she would top them. She will go further than you think any actor can go for the joke. And she's the sweetest, kindest person. What a great firecracker to have in this movie to freshen it up!" The actress says she enjoyed the gory illusions she learned to perform. 'I got to cut off body parts. Any time I tried to push it further, they always let me."

Lizzy Caplan vividly remembers seeing Now You See Me for first time. 'There's something really nice about showing up to a movie theatre and watching something that's just trying to entertain you," Lizzy Caplan says. 'This has lots of action in it, lots of explosions, but tons of really funny stuff in it, too. Sometimes you want to go see a movie that just makes you laugh and smile and feel excited, and that's what this movie is."

Working in an ensemble cast, especially one this talented, took a lot of pressure off each individual, says Lizzy Caplan. 'If you get along as well as we all did, it makes every day really fun. And Jon M. Chu was the perfect director for our very rambunctious group of actors. He comes from a big family, so he's used to being surrounded by a bunch of siblings, yelling and screaming and breaking things. His feathers never get ruffled. As inappropriate and ill-­ behaved as we were, he loved it."

Lula has a crush on Jack Wilder and she's not shy about expressing her feelings, adding a bit of romance to the proceedings. 'She really goes after it in an uncomfortable way," Lizzy Caplan notes. 'Dave Franco is the best. We worked to come up with interesting stuff for our little love-­story element. He was just wonderful to collaborate with."

The filmmakers were delighted to have Oscar winner Sir Michael Caine return as scheming billionaire Arthur Tressler, who is out for revenge against the Horsemen for the humiliation he suffered at their hands. 'Michael Caine is everything you would want Michael to be," says Bobby Cohen. 'What comes across always is his unbelievable pride and craftsmanship. He always delivers. And you know… he's Michael Caine!"

Jon M. Chu was especially thrilled to work with one of his childhood heroes. 'It is such an honour to be working with the great Sir Michael Caine. You don't dare imagine as a kid that you will get to work with this legend. He's an icon, and to be shooting in London with him is even more insane. On set, we would just ask him to tell us stories about all the movies he's made."

Michael Caine's character, Arthur Tressler, is hell-­bent on destroying the Horsemen, whatever the cost. 'He is so dastardly that he's funny, which is a tricky thing to play," says the acclaimed actor. 'You must play a character like Tressler absolutely seriously. And this time he has teamed up with a villain even more evil than he is. It's a much bigger movie than the first one and the tricks are spectacular."

Michael Caine admits to being a sucker for magic. 'The first time I remember seeing a magician was at a children's party when I was about four or five. A man had an egg and he put it in his hat. When he took his hat off, there was a little tiny chicken standing on his head. I was hooked. This movie is bit like one whole magic trick itself. You keep trying to figure it out but it isn't until the end that you're let in on the secrets."

Also returning is Oscar winner Morgan Freeman as Thaddeus Bradley, notorious debunker of stage magic and the Horsemen's archenemy. 'Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine were a huge part of the success of the first movie," BobbyCohen says. 'They are two of the most iconic actors of our time, as well as consummate pros. They had a scene together that we couldn't schedule. When I went to them with the problem, they each made a huge effort to make it back to London to film it."

Working with Morgan Freeman made Jon M. Chu feel like his life was being narrated by some omniscient being. 'In fact, he's the ultimate prankster," the director says. 'We tried to prank him, but he does not like to be pranked. He will not give you the satisfaction of the joke."

According to Morgan Freeman, the new film surpasses its predecessor in terms of inventiveness and excitement. 'And I think the first film was very innovative story-­wise," he says. 'It was well written and well-conceived in terms of offering magic on a large scale. No one's done major magic in film, I think, since Orson Welles did The Magician in the '40s. So it's brand new to our audience. If you want to excite people, give them something new."

Returning for a sequel is like working in Repertory Theater, says Morgan Freeman, a veteran stage actor. 'You work with a group of people over a period of time and develop a comfort level in terms of rhythm and trust. We all came back together, and we know who we are, not just from having worked together before, but because we've seen the finished film and we know what we did right."

Many of Morgan Freeman's scenes in the film are with Mark Ruffalo, whom he describes as an actor of enormous talent. 'Working with somebody like that is freeing. Acting is a lot like closing your eyes and falling backwards. If you've got somebody you know will catch you every time, it's easy to do."

At the end of the first film, Thaddeus has been falsely imprisoned at the behest of Dylan and the Horsemen, but Morgan Freeman assures audiences that will be temporary. 'Thaddeus is nothing if not resourceful," he says. 'I will find a way to get out. This takes the story to a different level in terms of action, drama, suspense and comedy, all in one film. We haven't stinted on anything."

New addition Daniel Radcliffe joins the cast as Walter Mabry, a wealthy entrepreneur in hiding in a fabulous high-­rise apartment in Macau. 'Walter Mabry is a sort of boy wonder, who loved magic at one time, but was never very good at it," explains Jon M. Chu. 'He has this brilliant idea that science can overcome all magic, even though he is still a fanboy and an admirer of the Horsemen, whom he has kidnapped to do his will. Daniel Radcliffe has displayed a lot of different sides throughout his career, but this playful, weird, demented side is something we've never seen."

What stood out for Daniel Radcliffe about the first film were the wide-­ranging experiences of the accomplished cast. 'It's such an amazing group of actors, all bringing such different things from interesting and varied careers," the actor says. 'They seemed to be having such a great time together and that's really compelling for an audience to watch."

Mabry enlists the Horsemen in a plot to steal a heavily guarded piece of technology, something he feels is rightly his, but his motives are much darker than they initially appear. 'Walter was probably a kid who tried to do a bit of magic for a while, but wasn't that skilled at it," says Daniel Radcliffe. 'He doesn't want to suspend disbelief – he wants to find out how things are done. There's a little bitterness there, because he isn't as talented as the Horsemen. So he kind of wants to be their friend, but he resents them as well."

A mystery man with a complicated proposal for the Horseman, Mabry will not take no for an answer. His background may be high tech, but his passion is magic. 'There are a lot of fun themes in this movie, and one involves science versus magic," Ed Solomon says. 'We explore the idea that the only real magic today is happening in the world of science. Walter Mabry is a brilliant, spoiled man-­child who fancies himself an amateur magician, but beyond that he is an actual scientist."

'Jon M. Chu has done a fantastic job," Daniel Radcliffe says. 'To take on something of this magnitude requires real vision. He breaks down immense sequences into streamlined storytelling in a way that is wonderful to watch. There's a crucial sequence in which the Horsemen have to steal something right under people's noses. Jon M. Chu created an incredibly cool, complicated scene that uses stage magic to pull off the heist in a way that hasn't been seen before on screen."

There is something about magic that reduces us all to children, believes Daniel Radcliffe. 'Sleight- of-hand is very hard, but some of the best tricks in the world are so incredibly simple and effective."

Deputy Director of the FBI Natalie Austin, who has been in pursuit of the Horsemen since they disappeared after their last show, is played by another new cast member, Sanaa Lathan. 'I've been a fan of Sanaa Lathan's since Love and Basketball," says Jon M. Chu. 'When an actor appears in little slots of time in the movie, they have to be precise. Bringing in a great actor like Sanaa Lathan was really important."

A fan of the first film, Sanaa Lathan was eager to join the cast of the sequel. 'It had all the exciting elements of a big franchise movie, as well as a really great story and interesting characters," she says. 'The idea of a group of top­level magicians being involved in a heist and giving back to the poor is a really fresh idea and done very well."

Fans can look forward to more of the spectacular illusions and stunts they loved the first time around, she promises. 'It's going to be bigger and it's going to be better. The tricks are out of this world. It's the kind of movie you can see again and again because it's so intricate that there will be new discoveries every time you watch it."

Also new to the cast is Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou, who appears as Li, proprietor of a decades-old magic shop in Macau that holds critical clues to the film's many mysteries. A multi­talented musician and actor, Jay Chou is also a skilled magician who would entertain the cast and crew with some of his signature tricks between shots.

'I love Jay Chou," says the director. 'I'm a fan of his and so is my mother! He's just so charming. This guy is a Jack-of-all­trades, the coolest dude, and I want to be exactly like him."

Jay Chou is, in fact, one of the biggest recording artists in the world. 'He is unbelievably charismatic, funny, and, as it turns out, a fairly accomplished magician in his own right," Bobby Cohen says. 'Since he was a fan of the first movie, he wanted to be a part of this. He is a worthy addition to our group of heroes and he really makes the Macau section of the film feel alive."

Director Jon M. Chu acknowledges that he learned a great deal while making Now You See Me 2, much of it from the film's accomplished cast. 'Each of them is a master craftsman. They all have mastered the art of being present and being true to a character. They are really our secret weapons. Every time you pair Jesse Eisenberg with Dave Franco or Mark Ruffalo with Morgan Freeman, there's magic that you just have to capture in your cameras. When you have actors like that, you can throw crazy, impossible things at them and they're going to give a reality to it that the audience will plug into."

An International Stage

After starting out in New York City, where the first film left off, the action of Now You See Me 2 soon becomes international as The Horsemen are transported to Macau, seemingly by magic, then on to London for a final showdown with an unexpected alliance of enemies. For Jon M. Chu, the bright, busy seaport of Macau was the perfect place to set many of the film's central scenes. 'From the very beginning, we knew we wanted to take the Horsemen to a place where mystery and magic are woven into the history," the director says. 'Macau is an exotic, beautiful, strange mix of Portuguese architecture and Chinese culture, with Las Vegas thrown in for good measure. Everywhere you point the camera is gorgeous. The feeling and the texture of the place embody the spirit of what this movie is about."

For that reason, it was essential to Jon M. Chu that the exterior scenes be shot on location. 'You can't duplicate the streets of Macau," says the director. 'Every detail is important, from the tiles on the sidewalks to locals putting up their laundry. For the Horsemen, it's like they've landed in Oz with street vendors, people playing mah-­jongg on the corner and cyclists whizzing by them. A lot of it was real life on the street and the actors never knew what was coming next."

One of the world's wealthiest cities, Macau lies on a peninsula attached to mainland China, but has more in common with Hong King, another former European colony that lies less than 50 miles off the coast. Part of the People's Republic of China since 1999, Macau was colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

'The architecture is a really interesting cultural mixture," says Bobby Cohen. 'You see Portuguese art-deco buildings from the 1930s next to more modern Asian structures and then, in a different part of town, it looks just like Vegas. That's the kind of stuff you cannot fake. The street scene there was absolutely insane. We'd hired about a hundred extras, but by the time we finished shooting, there were about five hundred people there."

The city's long relationship with magic informs the scenes set there in the same way as New Orleans occult traditions did the first film, according to Jon M. Chu. The Portuguese first brought European magic to Asia and it put down deep roots. Iong's Magic Shop, which figures prominently in the story, is a very old and famous place that actually exists. 'Ed worked it into the script, so when we got to Macau, one of the first places we went was Iong's," says the director. 'It was much more understated than the one we built, but it's still pretty trippy."

Macau also reverberates with the glitzy buzz of Las Vegas, with magnificent luxury hotels and casinos that attract high rollers from all over the world. One of those, the Sands Macao Hotel, permitted the filmmakers to shoot on the gaming floor. 'It is complicated trying to shoot in a casino while it's in operation, but the Sands did an amazing job," Bobby Cohen says. 'We also did something that has rarely been tried in a movie this size. We shot with a drone helicopter camera inside the casino, moving at about 25 miles an hour while tracking with the actors. It's totally crazy, but it worked."

Production designer Sharon Seymour constructed the interior, a sparkling white, ultra modern laboratory, as well as the dark and dusty magic emporium, the bustling bazaar, and Walter's spectacular penthouse apartment (with a view of the Macau skyline added in post­ production) on soundstages in London.

'Once we knew we were taking the movie to Macau, we wanted to make sure it felt authentic," says Bobby Cohen. 'We knew that Iong's and the bazaar would be centrepieces of the film and we wanted them to feel alive. Sharon Seymour created an incredible multi-floored Asian marketplace in an abandoned building in the centre of London. It had such detail. When the actors came on the set, it immediately put them into character."

Sharon Seymour based the sets on meticulous research, including the actual interior of the original Macanese magic shop. 'Our magic consultants were really helpful, but even before they were on board, all of us were doing research," says the production designer. 'My office corridors were lined with posters of magicians. We went to the Davenport Magic Museum outside of London. The architecture of the magic-­store set was very influenced by our initial scouting trip to Macau, where I saw antique stores and herb shops that gave us ideas for how all the things should be displayed."

Seymour's version of Iong's Magic Shop has the timeless feeling of an extraordinary destination that has hosted generations of famous magicians and illusion makers. 'We have everything from turn-of-the-century artefacts to contemporary plastic items," she says. 'It's a very special kind of environment that reflects the world of magic."

In the UK, where the bulk of filming was done, locations included the Royal Observatory in historic Greenwich, which marks the prime meridian – the longitudinal zero-degree line, and the Tilbury Docks in the Port of London. Atlas' mind­bending rain trick was filmed at the Royal Navy Academy in Greenwich and Lula's breathtaking magic stunt takes place in front of the famed British clipper ship, the Cutty Sark, one of the last tea clippers to be built before the advent of steam ships.

Costume designer Anna B. Sheppard created wardrobes for the characters that incorporate their evolution since the last film. 'Many of the characters had already been established in the first movie, but they have moved on a bit," she explains. 'We decided no more hoodies for Atlas. He's in more fashionable, better-fitting clothes that make him seem more grownup.

Dylan is coming into his own so we put him in some very handsome suits. Merritt stays almost the same."

The actors had a big say in what they wore, Anna Sheppard says. 'For Dave Franco, we came back to almost the same costume he wears in the first part because he felt better with his character being behind the scenes in his leather jacket and pair of jeans."

With the new characters, Anna Sheppard had more freedom to create original looks. 'Ensuring that Daniel Radcliffe looks mature when everyone remembers him as Harry Potter was another challenge. We clothed him beautifully and a little eccentrically: no socks, velvet slippers and Vivienne Westwood."

The designer also shopped the streets and marketplaces of Macau and Hong Kong for the scenes in the crowded bazaar, buying four hundred sets of costumes that represent the average resident of the city. 'I also went to China and Thailand for original antique clothes. We found amazing things, some of the pieces are museum quality."

Making Real Magic

Once again, the filmmakers behind Now You See Me 2 brought in the world's foremost magicians to help create real­life illusions that boggle the mind and are performed 'in camera" by the cast, with little or no help from the special-effects department. For the magic to work, the audience has to feel they are experiencing it as it takes place, says Jon M. Chu. 'It can be hard to shoot magic for a film. With visual effects, you can make a dinosaur come to life, an alien land on earth, anything. But we decided to do as much practical magic as we could and teach the actors how to actually do it. It's important that the audience doesn't think we're cheating – and we're not. We are actually doing the magic on screen as you watch, with no cuts. And then what's fun is that later in the movie, we will show you how it was done."

Jon M. Chu was determined to make bigger and bolder illusions than ever before, which meant asking a lot more of the cast. The actors attended magic camp a few weeks before shooting began, where they spent hours honing their dexterity, learning to make things disappear and how a professional magician talks and moves. Mark Ruffalo even learned to breathe fire for the film.

Once again, the filmmakers behind Now You See Me 2 brought in the world's foremost magicians to help create real-­life illusions. 'One of the hardest things to get right about this movie, and yet also one of the most fun parts of the job, was integrating the magic into it," says Ed Solomon. 'You don't realise just how much hard work goes into making something seem effortless. I'm not speaking simply of magic tricks, whether they are small, medium or large. I am talking about creating a mood of magic throughout whole movie, so that it works like one big magic trick. We tried to create the suspension of disbelief that you have when you're at a magic show."

The filmmakers turned to some of magic's biggest names for help even while developing the script, including mentalist, hypnotist and magician Keith Barry and world­famous illusionist David Copperfield, who serves as co-­producer. 'Our consultants are among the best," Ed Solomon says. 'Keith Barry was on the set every single day. David was very involved in helping me construct some of the set pieces. Getting to just call David Copperfield and say, -I have this idea for an illusion,' was incredible. David Copperfield was super helpful. He is so aware of things like depth of field and the way it affects the eye and the mind."

Keith Barry, who has been performing publicly since he was four also provided on-going technical support. 'The way Ed Solomon's mind works is amazing," Keith Barry says. 'He put in phenomenal twists and turns that set this apart from the first film. It's a lot faster-paced and there'll be a lot more magic. We've jam-packed it with illusions, mentalism, cardistry and hypnotism."

Consulting across all departments, Keith Barry worked closely with the actors on their individual scenes and skills, collaborated with the props and special effects, and helped Ed Solomon design illusions that could be performed live.

'It would be much easier to use visual effects, but it's important for the movie-­going audience to know that the things that we've done are real," says Keith Barry. 'That's the essence of a good magic movie. If we put in a lot of CGI, people would realise that we can do anything that way, even things that can't be done in real life. We made a decision to use the least amount of CGI possible, which was fun for me, because I live for performing live. I hope that will resonate with the audience."

In addition to Keith Barry, magicians Andrei Jikh and Blake Vogt were also brought in to assist the cast and filmmakers with the technical aspects of the magic sequences. Blake Vogt worked closely with the prop crew to make sure that as many of the effects as possible happened in camera. 'Coming from a magician's standpoint, this is a perfect movie," Blake Vogt says. 'It's about a team of magicians, which is a great twist. In real life, we do work together and challenge each other to be better and more inventive all the time. Even on the set, I'd do a trick, then Andrei Jikh would do a trick. We go back and forth. It's cool to see a movie based on that."

Andrei Jikh, an expert in cardistry, trained the actors to manipulate playing cards with amazing speed and accuracy. 'We trained the cast in how to think like a cardist: how to secretly conceal cards, how to throw them like a ninja, and flick the cards from hand to hand. All of these things required focus, practice and insane dexterity. We had a lot of fun and the cast did an amazing job learning each and every technique."

The actors had to become cardistry experts in a relatively short time for a central scene in the film. 'Daniel Radcliffe has one scene where he needs to do something with a playing card," adds Andrei Jikh. He spent so much time perfecting that one move that he can now do it without looking at his hands. Dave Franco can flick a card from here to the other side of the room and hit something. He is absolutely brilliant at catching and throwing cards, as well as all kinds of sleight-of­hand stuff. Lizzy can really catch a card in her jacket or her hand or even her hair."

Actor Woody Harrelson had to learn to manipulate more than cards for his role as a world­ class mentalist and hypnotist. 'The way he approached his role was truly phenomenal," says Andrei Jikh. 'I've seen him hack into people's brains and hypnotise people better and quicker than some of the best in the business. If he decided to give up acting and become a full-­time hypnotist we should all be afraid, very afraid. These guys jumped in at the deep end and spent many, many hours practicing and rehearsing by themselves, which was fantastic to see and makes the scene an epic moment in the movie."

The ultimate goal of the entire magic team, according to Barry, was to capture the childlike sense of wonder we lose as we become adults. 'My hope is that for the two hours they are watching this movie, people will just lose themselves in it," he says. 'As we grow up, we start to understand how the world works and it takes away that sense of wonder. If you happen to meet a magician at a party, it will bring you back to it, to not knowing how something is done. It just gives you that little buzz. And that's what we magicians live for – performing in theatres before a thousand people at a time and just giving them a moment to forget about their everyday lives, about their problems, and remember what it is to wonder again."

Jon M. Chu hopes that he and everyone involved in the film have created something that will appeal to moviegoers of all ages. 'It has suspense," he says. 'It has an emotional story. It has spectacle. It's a fun ride with plenty of magic tricks and some of the best actors in the world, legends and future legends. These things combined should create an unforgettable movie experience. If you want to have a fun time with your friends or your family, to experience something you will talk about afterward, this is the movie to go to."

Now You See Me 2
Release Date: June 2nd, 2016