Lionsgate might have just pulled off its best trick yet, courtesy of The Four Horsemen. The studio launched a giant billboard in Times Square, New York City, ahead of the highly anticipated release of theNow You See Me: Now You Don’ttrailer as a way to further promote the upcoming third installment of its popular heist-thriller franchise. As if by magic, those that opted to interact with the digital display were later rewarded with a surprise payment of $119.16, sent via Venmo with the message “Voila” and a wand emoji.
Videos shared online, such as the one below, which was posted by Pop Crave on X/Twitter, allowed those outside of the Big Apple to have a bite of the action. The billboard featured the words “Now You See Me” alongside a graphic of falling dollar bills and another screen that displayed a countdown clock with a phone number, encouraging onlookers to “text for magic.” When the countdown hit zero, the billboard flipped to reveal the words “Now You Don’t.” The curious people that had interacted with it earlier in the day by contacting the number, then received messages containing a link to the trailer and an unexpected cash prize.
Why the Now You See Me Franchise Is Worth Continuing
While not every franchise deserves a continuation, there’s potential to expand the Now You See Me universe in exciting ways.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate ended up giving away $250,000 in digital payments as a result of itsNow You See Me 3marketing stunt, and it’s safe to say that the recipients of the cash couldn’t believe their eyes. People took to social media to rave about their winnings, withone person writing, “WHAT NOW YOU SEE ME JUST SENT ME $119 FROM THERE TIKTOK LIVE PROMO. BEST MARKETING EVER!!!“Another person added: “Now you see me movie just sent me $119 ??? yeah I’m seated,” whilea third quizzed: “Did anyone else just get 120 bucks from that Now You See Me text number or just me?”
‘Now You See Me 3’ Trailer Racked Up Over 3.5 Million Views in Less Than 24 Hours
TheNow You See Me: Now You Don’tpromotion ended with the release of thefirst trailer for the magic-themed threequeland, less than 24 hours on, it has already racked up more than 3.5 million views on YouTube. At the time of writing, the trailer is also currently trending at #5 on the video sharing platform. These stats suggest that fans of the franchise are excited about the third entry, which brings back the core cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher after an almost decade-long absence from the big screen.
Directed byUnchartedandZombieland: Double Tapfilmmaker Ruben Fleischer, Now You See Me: Now You Don’twill, according to the film’s official logline, see “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.” The long-awaited follow-up to 2013’sNow You See Meand 2016’sNow You See Me 2will appear in theaters on Jun 19, 2025, but the franchise won’t disappear any time soon, asa fourth film is already in the works.
Sources:The Hollywood Reporter,Pop Crave
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
