There wasn’t great expectation for Louis Letterier’s (Wrath of the Titans, 2013 thriller Now You See Me, the story of a group of conning magicians, and it received an early critical beating but quickly became a fan favourite, taking $350 million and becoming the year’s most refreshing original story. A sequel had been announced but seemed to go quiet when it became apparent that, in a 2015 release, it’d get swallowed up by the likes of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Star Wars: Episode VII, Fast and Furious 7, Terminator: Genesis, Jurassic World, Tomorrowland, American Sniper, Ted 2, The Man from UNCLE, Cinderella, San Andreas, Mission: Impossible 5, Pan, Assassin’s Creed, Kung Fu Panda 3, Resident Evil 6, The Conjuring 2, Igor, Mad Max: Fury Road, Crimson Peak, The Minions, Bond 24 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.
This hiatus led to Leterrier to focus on Sacha Baron Cohen comedy Grimsby but Now You See Me hasn’t been forgotten. Its star Dave Franco has finally spoken out. Last I heard, we were still going at the end of this year. I’ve heard a pitch of the story. It’s actually going to be really exciting. I was slightly weary, just because you never know when it comes to a sequel. But I think the first one opened up enough avenues. There are many directions left to explore. There are many places that it can go, and they really – they held true to the spirit of the first one, but it’s going to be enough of a departure that it doesn’t just feel like a complete copy of the first one.”
This comes alongside the announcement that filming begins later this year, likely meaning an early 2016 release. Now You See Me 2 will likely star Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, The Kids Are All Right), Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland, The Social Network), Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers, Rango), Woody Harrelson (No Country for Old Men, The Hunger Games, True Detective), Melanie Laurent (Inglorious, Beginners), Dave Franco (Warm Bodies, 21 Jump Street), Michael Caine (The Italian Job, Alfie, The Dark Knight, Children of Men) and Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight, Million Dollar Baby, Seven, The Shawshank Redemption).
I believe there’s yet to be a half decent Hulk movie. 2008’s The Incredible Hulk has gained minor praise from some critics, not us however, while 2003’s Hulk is just universally agreed to be a disastrous misfire, hastily attempting to latch onto the efforts of X-Men and Spider-Man. The only successful portrayals would be the ’70s Lou Ferrigno TV series and Mark Ruffalo’s supporting role in The Avengers.
Marvel have spent $300 million trying to make a solo Hulk movie work but have failed, despite making the cocky billionaire Iron Man vulnerable, the arrogant prince Thor wise and the blatantly dull Captain America exciting in their recent instalments. Hulk’s voice actor Lou Ferrigno recently expressed his belief that the next Hulk begin work after Age of Ultron in 2015 but the likelihood is that he’s been bumped up the waiting list. The only greenlit Marvel projects we can definitely say are coming are Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Captain America 3, Thor 3, Doctor Strange and The Avengers 3 while Black Widow, Iron Man 4, Nick Fury, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Black Panther have all been considered.
The Hulk 2 – 2017?
Now You See Me 2 – 2016
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