‘Now You See Me 3’ races past ‘The Running Man’ at box office

‘Now You See Me 3’ Outperforms ‘Running Man’ at Weekend Box Office

The third installment in the magician heist franchise “Now You See Me” pulled a surprise victory at the North American box office this weekend, outperforming the high-profile action film “The Running Man” starring Glen Powell. Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” conjured $21.3 million in ticket sales, while Paramount’s “The Running Man” generated $17 million, according to Sunday’s studio estimates.

“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” which reportedly cost $90 million to produce, arrives nearly a decade after its predecessor. The film’s global opening weekend reached approximately $75.5 million, including revenue from 64 international territories. The victory caught industry observers by surprise, as pre-release projections had suggested a much closer contest between the two new releases.

“Honestly, I didn’t see us being number one for the weekend about 10 days ago,” said Kevin Grayson, president of worldwide distribution for Lionsgate’s motion picture group. “But as we started to get closer and ticket sale numbers started to pop, we saw that there was going to be a horse race. Then we pulled away Saturday morning.”

Grayson attributed the success to both the franchise’s enduring appeal and effective marketing strategies that positioned the film well for the upcoming holiday season.

The “Now You See Me” series has established itself as a consistent performer at the global box office, with the first two films (released in 2013 and 2016) collectively earning more than $686 million worldwide. The latest chapter, directed by Ruben Fleischer, reunites the original “Four Horsemen” — Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco — while introducing three younger magicians portrayed by Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Justice Smith. Lionsgate has already announced plans for a fourth installment.

Critical reception was mixed, with the film earning a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience reactions were somewhat more favorable, with 63% of viewers indicating they would “definitely recommend” the movie, according to PostTrak polling. The film received a B+ CinemaScore grade.

Demographics played a crucial role in the weekend’s outcome. Women comprised 54% of “Now You See Me” audiences but only 37% of “The Running Man” viewership. Both films earned identical B+ CinemaScore ratings, but the broader audience appeal of the magician franchise gave it the edge.

“The Running Man,” directed by Edgar Wright, represents the second adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 dystopian novel. The previous version, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and released in 1987, received mixed reviews and underperformed financially, earning just $38 million against a $27 million budget. The new adaptation stars Glen Powell, who has recently enjoyed box office success with films like the romantic comedy “Anyone But You” and the disaster thriller “Twisters.”

Paramount released “The Running Man” in 3,400 domestic locations and 58 international markets, generating a worldwide total of $28.2 million. With a reported production budget of $110 million, the film faces a challenging path to profitability.

The weekend’s other new release, “Keeper,” directed by “Longlegs” filmmaker Oz Perkins, struggled significantly, earning just $2.5 million and receiving a dismal D+ CinemaScore. However, as an acquisition title for distributor Neon, the financial implications are less severe.

Rounding out the top five were “Predator: Badlands” in third place with $13 million in its second weekend, “Regretting You” in fourth with $4 million, and “Black Phone 2” in fifth with $2.7 million, bringing its domestic total to $74.7 million after five weeks in theaters.

In anticipation of the upcoming sequel “Wicked: For Good,” Universal Pictures re-released “Wicked” in 2,195 theaters, where it collected $1.2 million, narrowly missing the top ten.

Box office analysts expect a significant uptick in theatrical business when “Wicked 2” premieres next week, followed by Disney’s “Zootopia 2” ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore suggested this could become one of the highest-grossing five-day Thanksgiving periods on record.

“After a terrible October, the lowest grossing in decades, it’s just warming up,” Dergarabedian noted. “It’s never too late to get the momentum moving in the right direction.”

The domestic box office top ten for the weekend included “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” ($21.3 million), “The Running Man” ($17 million), “Predator: Badlands” ($13 million), “Regretting You” ($4 million), “Black Phone 2” ($2.7 million), “Nuremberg” ($2.6 million), “Keeper” ($2.5 million), “Sarah’s Oil” ($2.3 million), with “Bugonia” and “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” tied for ninth place at $1.6 million each.