Now You See Me 3 opens $21.3M: Female audiences drive magic-heist trilogy to weekend win over Running Man

Franchise Fatigue Shows Through Weekend Numbers

Lionsgate Films’ “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” topped the domestic box office with $21.3 million, marking the third outing for the magician-heist franchise. While the film claimed first place, the opening represents a continued decline from its predecessors—the 2013 original opened to $29.35 million, and the 2016 sequel debuted at $22.38 million domestically according to Box Office Mojo.

Globally, the film performed better, opening to $75.5 million worldwide (domestic $21.3 million plus international $54.2 million). This strong overseas performance follows the franchise’s established pattern—the original film earned 66.5% of its $351.7 million worldwide total from foreign territories.

The franchise continues to draw audiences with its blend of magic, heist thrills, and ensemble cast appeal | Photo: Lionsgate

Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, credited Lionsgate’s marketing approach for the film’s success in attracting younger female viewers. The studio reported that half of ticket buyers were women, with a healthy portion over 25 years old.

Stephen King Adaptation Lands in Second Place

Paramount Pictures’ “The Running Man” secured second place with $17 million domestically, marking the second adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel. The first version, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released by Sony Pictures in 1987. Schwarzenegger publicly expressed his support for the new adaptation.

According to FranchiseRe consulting firm data, the opening is above average for King adaptations—the last 18 King films opened to $14.6 million on average domestically. However, when combined with international receipts bringing the global opening to approximately $28.2 million, the numbers suggest the big-budget action film faces challenges ahead.

Ensemble chemistry remains a key draw for the magic-heist franchise | Photo: Lionsgate

Predator’s Steep Second-Weekend Decline

Disney’s “Predator: Badlands” suffered a harsh 68% drop in its second weekend, earning just $13 million after last weekend’s franchise-best opening of $40 million domestically. The steep decline has raised concerns about the film’s theatrical prospects as it heads into the competitive holiday season.

Elaborate set pieces and practical effects continue to define the franchise’s visual appeal | Photo: Lionsgate

The performance of these three films—combined with weak showings further down the top ten—resulted in one of the weakest November weekends in recent years according to industry trackers. The sluggish numbers underscore broader challenges facing theatrical exhibition this fall, even as studios bank on a holiday rebound.

Marketing Strategy Drives Female Audience

Lionsgate’s approach to marketing “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” included fan-style edits distributed across social media platforms including Instagram Reels and TikTok. This strategy proved effective in reaching younger demographics, particularly female viewers who have traditionally been strong supporters of the franchise.

BTS from film production | Photo: Lionsgate

Despite receiving the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of the trilogy at approximately 59%, the film’s audience grade of B+ on CinemaScore falls slightly below the A- rating earned by the original. This suggests that while the franchise maintains goodwill, audience enthusiasm has plateaued.

International Markets Show Mixed Results

While “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” performed strongly in many international markets, the Indian box office told a different story. Indian trade reports estimate the film earned just ₹2.52 crore (approximately $300,000) over its opening weekend in India, despite the global opening reaching $75.5 million according to Times of India trade estimates.

Practical effects and tangible props create tactile authenticity for illusion sequences | Photo: Lionsgate

This weak Indian performance contrasts sharply with the franchise’s success in other Asian markets. The second film had a strong opening day in China of approximately $14.8 million, demonstrating that Hollywood franchises face vastly different reception across global territories.

For Indian audiences, Hollywood franchises compete against robust domestic film industries producing content in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and other regional languages. The modest opening suggests that the magic-heist genre may not resonate as strongly in Indian markets compared to major superhero films and high-concept science fiction.

Holiday Season Releases on the Horizon

Industry analysts expect a dramatic rebound in theatrical attendance over the coming weeks. Universal Pictures’ “Wicked: For Good,” the sequel to last year’s critically acclaimed $114 million opening phenomenon, could rake in between $140 million and $180 million domestically according to projections from industry analysts.

Character conflicts and interpersonal drama balance the spectacle-driven plot | Photo: Lionsgate

Disney’s “Zootopia 2” arrives on Thanksgiving weekend, potentially ending what Robbins described as a “long drought” of animated films underperforming at the box office. The original “Zootopia” earned over $1 billion worldwide, and the sequel carries significant expectations.

Grand-scale production design creates visually memorable set pieces | Photo: Lionsgate

Universal Pictures is also releasing “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” on December 5, following up on the 2023 horror film based on the popular video game series. The original became a surprise hit, particularly among younger audiences.

Adaptation Challenges in Contemporary Market

The modest performance of “The Running Man” illustrates ongoing challenges with remake adaptations. While the film carries the weight of Stephen King’s literary reputation and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s public endorsement, it faces the burdens of legacy comparison and justifying its existence to audiences.

Strong dialogue-driven scenes balance the franchise’s action and spectacle elements | Photo: Lionsgate

Original IP like “Now You See Me” enters the market with novelty advantage—no prior cinematic version exists to invite comparison. The $17 million domestic opening for “The Running Man” places it in the middle range for King adaptations. Compared to recent King releases that have found strong audiences, the action-thriller approach may have been less compelling to contemporary viewers.

Franchise Sustainability Questions

The gradual decline in “Now You See Me” opening weekend numbers raises questions about franchise sustainability in today’s theatrical landscape. While international markets remain strong and the films continue to turn profits, the domestic trajectory suggests that sequel fatigue affects even reliably entertaining properties.

Character chemistry and interpersonal dynamics provide emotional stakes beyond the plot mechanics | Photo: Lionsgate

The original 2013 film carried an estimated $75 million production budget and earned $351.7 million worldwide. For the third installment to maintain profitability despite lower domestic openings, international performance must compensate, and production costs must be controlled.

The franchise benefits from established brand recognition and a repeatable formula: charismatic ensemble cast, elaborate heist plotting, surprise twists, and visual spectacle. However, maintaining freshness across multiple installments requires creativity beyond repeating previous successes.

Theatrical Trends and Release Timing

This weekend serves as both warning and opportunity for theatrical exhibition. The warning: even familiar franchises and recognizable IP cannot guarantee strong attendance outside peak holiday periods. The opportunity: demonstrating that carefully scheduled releases during prime windows can still deliver impressive results.

Studios typically reserve their biggest releases for key holiday windows—Thanksgiving through New Year’s—making early and mid-November a strategic pause in the release calendar. This weekend’s modest numbers reinforce that strategy, showing that spreading releases across the calendar year yields diminishing returns.

Paul Dergarabedian emphasized that this weekend serves as preparation for much stronger numbers ahead. The theatrical calendar through year-end includes several potential performers that could reverse the fall trend. Strong performances from “Wicked: For Good,” “Zootopia 2,” and Christmas releases would validate the concentrated release strategy.

Related coverage explores how recent superhero releases have navigated changing box office dynamics, how horror sequels continue finding devoted audiences, and how franchise films have performed this year.

Weekend Recap

The article covered the November 14-16, 2025 box office weekend results, including domestic and international performance data for “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” “The Running Man,” and “Predator: Badlands.” The piece examined franchise trajectory analysis, marketing strategies, audience demographics, and international market performance including India box office estimates. Release calendars for upcoming holiday films were discussed, along with analyst commentary from industry tracking sources.