New 'Now You See Me' film premieres at Golden Rooster festival

"Now You See Me: Now You Don't," a new installment of the popular heist thriller franchise, premiered in Beijing and Xiamen on Nov. 13.

A magician performs at the premiere of "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" in Xiamen, Fujian province, Nov. 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Dark Horse Entertainment]

Both premiere events in Beijing and at the 2025 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in Xiamen, Fujian province, featured performances by Chinese magicians. They delighted audiences by recreating tricks from the film while incorporating traditional Chinese magic elements.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Rosamund Pike and Morgan Freeman, "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" brings back The Four Horsemen who team up with new illusionists to steal the world's largest diamond from a corrupt corporate heir. 

Fleischer noted that the crew drew inspiration from traditional Chinese magic tricks, props, and Eastern aesthetics, wisdom and mystery, integrating these elements into the movie. He added that the modern Robin Hood spirit in the story resonates with Chinese audiences, who have long admired cultural traditions of heroes who take from the unjust rich to give to the deserving poor and champion the oppressed.

The "Now You See Me" franchise is popular in the Chinese market. The first film grossed 142 million yuan in 2013, while the sequel, "Now You See Me 2," featuring Chinese pop superstar Jay Chou and set in China's Macao, reached 637 million yuan. The two installments earned $351.7 million and $334 million worldwide respectively. In April 2025, during Lionsgate's presentation at CinemaCon, a fourth installment in the franchise was officially confirmed to be in development, with Ruben Fleischer set to return as director.

A Chinese poster for "Now You See Me: Now You Don't." [Image courtesy of Liongate]

"Now You See Me: Now You Don't" was released in Chinese theaters on Nov. 14.