Now You See Me 3 fans get paid $119 to watch the trailer, yet most remain unimpressed: ‘A new level of desperation’
Now You See Me 3 is back with a flashy new promo that has fans double-checking their bank accounts but it seems even $119 can’t buy everyone’s approval
Few movies can make magicians look cool without making you cringe, but Now You See Me (2013) has done it twice! Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, and Mark Ruffalo, the magic-themed heist series has captivated audiences across the world. Now back for a third instalment with some new faces, joining the cast are Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa, Rosamund Pike, and Justice Smith. The trailer for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (finally, right?) just dropped, and here's what fans have to say.
Marketing mavericks
But before we delve into what people think of the trailer, there's another part of this whole saga that deserves our attention: the Times Square promo that had people checking their bank accounts in joy. Taken straight out of the script, one of the major promos behind the film, the makers live-streamed a mysterious billboard in Times Square on TikTok. And here's the twist: everyone who signed up for the livestream was Venmoed $119. Yes, you read that right. The movie magic turned into real cash, just like some of the most captivating scenes in the movie. According to Pop Crave on X, those who tuned into the broadcast saw their bank accounts magically grow by the exact amount.
Unsurprisingly, the internet had… feelings about this. “Paying people to see a movie is a new level of desperation and sadness,” one person declared. On the flip side, some folks were downright amazed. “That’s wild—literal movie magic turning into real cash!” another fan joked. “Later it’s gonna reverse and people are gonna have negative balances,” one fan quipped, referring to the main trick The Four Horsemen executed in the first film against billionaire Arthur Tressler.
What about the trailer?
While many fans were happy to see their favourite Horsemen back in action with a few additions, others had questions. One commenter wondered: “I’m not seeing Mark Ruffalo. I wonder what their excuse will be.” While some fans are genuinely curious about the absence of the beloved actor, others are getting suspicious. Could this be an intentional misdirect? Another fan put the whole vibe of the trailer into one sentence saying: “This trailer looks like it was made in 2008.” One more fan commented, “That is why I hate these movies. They want to be clever and slick but the writers aren’t clever and slick enough to actually write them that way.”
So, what’s the final verdict? Is Now You See Me: Now You Don’t going to pull off the impossible once again? Or has the franchise overstayed its welcome, with too many new characters, too many tricks, and not enough heart?
