Eisenberg 'Never Felt Happier' Than Playing Atlas, Wants NYSM 4
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- Jesse Eisenberg told The Wrap he's 'never felt happier' than playing street magician J. Daniel Atlas and would 'love to do Now You See Me 4 more than anything else,' contrasting the confident character with his typical 'depressed' roles.
- Eisenberg most recently reprised Atlas in Now You See Me: Now You Don't, which premiered in November under director Ruben Fleischer, reuniting the full ensemble: Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Morgan Freeman, and Mark Ruffalo.
- The Four Horsemen franchise launched with Now You See Me in 2013, followed by the 2016 sequel, and the series has grossed more than $932 million worldwide across its three films.
- Lionsgate chair Adam Fogelson announced at last year's CinemaCon that Fleischer will return to direct the fourth installment, locking in the sequel's creative leadership before Eisenberg's public endorsement.
- Eisenberg, a two-time Oscar nominee, described Atlas as the only character where he 'gets to stand up straight and wear a nicer outfit,' framing the magician role as an emotional outlier in his filmography.
Why it matters: Eisenberg's public endorsement gives Lionsgate a built-in promotional hook for a sequel whose director was already locked in last year, and the franchise's $932M cumulative gross shows the studio is betting on proven box-office upside rather than untested IP — Eisenberg calling it his 'happiest place' signals strong cast retention for the four-quel.
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