Now You See Me:"Are we really going to film this?" Even the cast was surprised by the unconventional production methods used in the latest film. "The entire movie becomes one magic trick."

The latest installment in the crime entertainment film series, "Now You See Me 2" (directed by Ruben Fleischer), the first in 10 years, in which a super illusionist uses dazzling illusions to confront massive conspiracies and criminal organizations, will be released nationwide on May 8th. Ahead of its release, the film's unusual production methods have been revealed.

◇Three new magicians join the diamond heist.

"Now You See Me" is a series known for its spectacular illusions and clever storylines that even fool the audience. The first film, "Now You See Me" (directed by Louis Leterrier), released in 2013, features a group of thieves successfully pulling off three heists, including robbing a bank in Paris while performing a show in Las Vegas, outsmarting the FBI. In the second film, "Now You See Me 2" (directed by Jon M. Chu), released in 2016, the super illusionist group "The Four Horsemen" becomes entangled in a conspiracy by a global IT company and engages in a battle of wits with a genius engineer.

After disappearing from public view, they return for the third installment, joined by three new generation magicians. This time, their target is Vanderberg Corporation, which engages in the diamond business as well as money laundering for arms dealers and criminals. They embark on a spectacular heist across the globe, including New York, Antwerp, France, South Africa, the Arabian desert, and Abu Dhabi, in an attempt to steal the Heart Diamond, said to be the most valuable diamond in history and a family heirloom.

The cast sees the return of the original "Horsemen" members, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Isla Fisher, along with Morgan Freeman as the legendary magician. This time, Rosamund Pike takes on the villainous role of the elegant and ruthless "Queen of Diamonds," who stands in the Horsemen's way. Three new magicians are played by Justice Smith, Dominic Setha, and Ariana Greenblatt. The film is directed by Ruben Fleischer, known for his work on "Venom" (2018) and "Zombieland" (2009).

◇The world's top magic team participated in the scriptwriting process.

One of the series' appeals lies in its "clever storytelling tricks," where the brilliant illusions of the "Horsemen," a group of genius magicians, deceive everyone who watches. To create a story that will astound audiences more than ever before, the latest installment employs an unusual production method: a team of professional magicians participated in writing the script.

Director Fleischer revealed his commitment to creating a film that would amaze everyone, saying, "From the very beginning of production, I wanted to not only sprinkle tricks throughout the film, but also make the entire film appear as 'one magic trick'."

The series is known for its meticulously crafted storylines, but for this latest installment, the first in 10 years, the magic team, including top magicians from the prestigious "Magic Castle," participated from the scriptwriting stage to create the most unpredictable story yet.

Among the participants was Jim Steinmeier, an illusion designer who worked on the Beast's transformation scene in the Broadway musical "Beauty and the Beast" and the magic carpet scene in "Aladdin." He devised an amazing magic trick in which a helicopter carrying the Horsemen disappears in an instant.

Eisenberg, who has played Atlas, the leader of the Horsemen, since the first film in the series, recalled his first impression of the latest film's script: "Just like with the previous two films, when I first read the script, I was overwhelmed by the imagination that created this story. It's full of really clever and imaginative ideas to outsmart whoever your opponent is. I couldn't help but ask director Ruben, 'Are we really going to film what I've just read?'" He added, "From the scriptwriting stage through to the end, professional magicians were constantly thinking about what tricks would be perfect for this film. There was a magic consultant on set, and we cast members practiced magic every day while being taught by them," describing the behind-the-scenes production with the full cooperation of world-class magicians.

◇ "We want to pursue realism without relying on CGI" - Seven magic tricks filmed in a single take

In the already released scene from the film in which the Horsemen perform seven consecutive magic tricks, director Fleischer insisted on pursuing realism without relying on CGI, and world-renowned illusionists from "Magic Castle" participated in the supervision. The actors perfectly mastered the magic and performed it in front of the camera, but the scene, which was shot in a single take, required more than 20 takes until it was successful.

Director Fleischer said, "To achieve the one-take shot, we needed a tremendous amount of rehearsals. While the cast members were learning their respective magic tricks, we staff members worked with the supervising professional magicians to thoroughly consider the set layout and camera work. We continued to make adjustments until the very end to make it a cool scene."

Eisenberg revealed that the filming was carried out with outstanding teamwork, much like the Horsemen in the film who deepen their bonds despite their clashes, saying, "I jokingly told director Ruben, 'It's too challenging, there's no way we can do it. In the end, we'll have to shoot it in small parts and put it all together in editing.' But on the first take, it was about 90% successful, and we all looked at each other and thought, 'We can do this!' Even in the challenging scenes, everyone relied on each other and worked seriously, and I felt that we had become a truly united team."

The gripping crime entertainment film "Now You See Me 2" will be released nationwide on May 8th.