'Now You See Me Live' Will Bring The Four Horseman To Your City For A State-Of-The-Art Magic Show

Lionsgate has announced that they will be launching a Now You See Me Live magic show tour, based on its magic heist film franchise. The show won't feature Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco, but instead stand-ins from the international world of magic. Below, watch a trailer and find out more.

The show is being billed as "a state-of-the-art magic show with cutting-edge technology, surprise twists, and never-before-seen illusions from some of the greatest magicians in the world." I'm curious if this tour is just a money grab with a licensed brand name on it or if they'll actually take advantage of the source material and adapt some of the biggest illusions from the films. Remember the effect where somewhere is transported to a bank vault on the other side of the world? And I also wonder if they will have a proper budget to include bigger effects, not usually afforded by a magic show produced outside of David Copperfield and a handful of other magicians.

The show is being created in partnership with The Works Entertainment, the producers and creative team behind The Illusionists. The trailer seems to show a bunch of established stage effects, so I'm guessing it's just a magic show with a licensed name – but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be bad. One thing we know for sure is that the show won't feature any of the bad CG illusions of the film franchise. Magicians and audiences are likely both happy about that.

Instead of Jesse Eisenberg, you'll be treated to a bunch of internationally known magicians (although I'm a magic nerd and only one of these names immediately rang a bell):

At the center of the show are The Horsemen – four of the leading illusionists in the world who will stun audiences with mind-bending magic: "The Showman" James More, viral magician from Britain's Got Talent; "The Manipulator" Florian Sainvet, two-time French Magic Champion and finalist of France's Got Talent; "The Escape Artist" Sabine van Diemen, from Holland's Got Talent and West End Productions' The Illusionists; and "The Mentalist" Enzo Weyne, from France's Got Talent and the best-winning magic show by French Federation of Prestidigitator Artists. A fifth cast member, the show's host, will be unique to each market and host the show in the local language of the touring region.

For those of you interested, here are some clips of the main acts:

Here are some quotes from Lionsgate and The Works Entertainment:

"We are thrilled to partner with The Works Entertainment for this live, interactive magic spectacular, especially given their strong pedigree and their understanding and appreciation of the Now You See Me brand," said Lionsgate Senior Vice President of Global Live and Location Based Entertainment Jenefer Brown. "We know NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE will give fans worldwide a new way to engage with a franchise they know and love, and we look forward to launching it in China, a region that has been overwhelmingly supportive of the films."

"The Works Entertainment is delighted to partner with global content leader Lionsgate on this innovative and incredible new magic production," said Executive Producer, The Works Entertainment, Simon Painter. "After the success of 'The Illusionists' franchise worldwide, NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE will push stage magic and illusion into the next generation. We cannot wait for audiences to enjoy this groundbreaking theatrical experience."

The global tour will kick off in China in November 2018. Dates for the global tour and ticket information will be announced shortly. For more information, visit: www.nowyouseemelive.com.