The latest weekend at the box office offers a telling snapshot of how franchise strength, rating accessibility, and timing continue to influence theatrical performance. The third entry in the “magic heist” series, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, has emerged at the top of the charts, dethroning its anticipated rival, The Running Man, and re-emphasizing the enduring power of known properties in a competitive release window.
Domestic grosses for “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” are reported at approximately US$21.3 million for its opening weekend. That figure places it ahead of The Running Man, which clocked in at around US$17 million domestically. Internationally, the “Now You See Me” sequel has added significant heft, with openings across 64 foreign territories yielding an estimated global tally of about US$75.5 million. For context, the film is reported to have been made on a production budget in the region of US$90 million.
From a business perspective, the performance of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is noteworthy on several fronts. First, the brand recognition built over the earlier two films in the series appears to have carried forward: the original opened domestically at about US$29.3 million, and the second at US$22.3 million. Secondly, the film’s PG-13 rating gives it broader family and younger-audience appeal, which is highlighted as a key advantage when compared with its competitor, The Running Man, which is apparently delivering a darker tone and potentially narrower audience reach.
By contrast, The Running Man, despite the pedigree of director Edgar Wright and the star power of Glen Powell, seems to have come up short this weekend. Its domestic take of US$17 million, coupled with weaker international numbers (US$28.2 million abroad), bringing its global opening to around US$45.2 million, paints a less robust commercial picture in the face of a large production and marketing spend. Industry trackers had estimated a weekend range of US$15 million to US$25 million for The Running Man, and ultimately the film did not meet the higher end of that forecasting range, while Now You See Me: Now You Don’t landed within forecast expectations (US$18 m–25 m).
Another dimension to consider is market sentiment and audience reception: although critics’ reviews of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t were reportedly mixed, its established brand and visibility appear to have offset this to some degree, at least in opening weekend impact. The film’s performance underscores the continuing importance of franchise IP in a landscape where standalone films face higher risk.
However, there are caveats. The production cost of around US$90 million for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t means that the US$75.5 million global opening still leaves a considerable gap before profitability, once marketing and distribution costs are factored in. Theatrical revenue will need to build over subsequent weeks, and importantly, the international aftermarkets (including streaming, VOD, and TV rights) will influence the ultimate return.
From an exhibitor’s perspective, this result suggests that for mid-season release windows outside the summer blockbuster peak, films with existing brand equity and a broad-based audience rating hold a distinct advantage. For distributors, the key takeaway is that the global marketplace remains the decisive battleground: while a domestic lead is important for headline impact, the margin of profitability often lies overseas.
Looking ahead, the upcoming holiday tailwind may shift dynamics further as larger prestige titles prepare to launch. But for now, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t has successfully clinched the top spot in the weekend box office race and provided a timely reminder that in an increasingly crowded release calendar, familiarity, accessible rating and international reach continue to matter.
