Now that Lionsgate has dropped the first official trailer for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, it’s clear the stakes are higher than ever for the Four Horsemen – not to mention for the “baby foals“ they’re recruiting. 9 years after the franchise’s second installment, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) is back for more magic, and this time he’s asking three younger magicians for help: Bosco (The Holdovers’ Dominic Sessa), Charlie (Justice Smith, Dungeons & Dragons), and June (Barbie’s Ariana Greenblatt).

That’s not to say the old crew’s gone – despite J. Daniel joking in the trailer that they’re “ᴅᴇᴀᴅ” to him, Now You See Me 3 actually brings Isla Fisher’s Henley back into the fold along with featuring the return of Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman. The larger team will be needed, as the third movie pits them against a powerful opponent: Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike), diamond owner and black market dealer. The new movie is directed by Ruben Fleischer (Uncharted), who will also return for the previously greenlit fourth installment.

To celebrate the trailer’s release, ScreenRant interviewed Sessa, Smith, and Greenblatt – fresh off an exciting stunt in Times Square, where they got to perform a heist of their own and give away $250,000. The trio discussed their Now You See Me: Now You Don’t characters and the movie’s “bigger and better” scale, sharing what magic means to each of their would-be Horsemen, teasing how they engage with the original team members, and revealing what made Fleischer’s approach to the franchise so unique.

We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Magician Network In Now You See Me: Now You Don’t

The New Trio In Town Introduces Their Characters With A Flourish

Now You See Me 3’s trailer opens with holograms of the original Four Horsemen, wielded by the new set of magicians. While the three youngsters revel in their successful trick, the real J. Daniel Atlas appears to request their ᴀssistance on an important mission. During our interview, each actor described their character and explained why they were the right magicians for the job – starting with Smith, who insisted on calling his team of baby Horsemen “the foals” or “baby foals.”

Smith plays Charlie, who is “kind of the shy, behind-the-scenes guy,” according to the actor. “I plan a lot of the tricks, and I make sure everything goes right, but I don’t really enjoy being in the spotlight, even though I’m in such reverence of the Four Horsemen. I know every magic fact there is.” As for what magic means to him? “It’s his whole life.”

Greenblatt is June, who considers herself “the protector of these two; these guys are her family, they’re her life, they’re her everything.” The actor declared that “magic is the connecting tissue for this trio. I think we’ve bonded a huge amount with magic. We all have our own little quirks and situations in life, but magic brings us together, and we feel most ourselves while performing these tricks.”

According to Greenblatt, “being able to perform magic with her favorite people in the world is what defines June as a person. She’s strong, and she doesn’t take much from other people.” She even issued a warning to any antagonists out there. “If you try and cross these two, you’re not going to be very happy.” How she’ll exact her vengeance is another matter. “Her specialty is sleight of hand.”

There’s a potentially humorous reason behind being cast as a pickpocket: “I think my shortness kind of played a role in that, which has never been a factor in any role I’ve done. I’ve always had to hide the fact that I am, as Ruben [Fleischer] likes to say, vertically challenged.” It may sound silly that small stature makes for a tall advantage, but “because she’s so small, she’s able to squirm and be a snake and get where she needs to be and do what she needs to do.”

Rounding out the trio is Sessa’s Bosco, who is “sort of the face of the group, in a sense. I very much like to be front and center, receiving the attention, but I’m really good at magic at the same time.” Bosco is another one who deeply respects the craft he’s dedidated his life to. “I think my character shares the same reverence for magic and its history as Charlie, although I’m much more energetic about it.”

How Now You See Me 3’s Newest Characters Interact With The Four Horsemen

Similar Strengths Might “Create A Bit Of A Conflict” Between Old & New Magicians

Despite the implied falling out between Atlas and his teammates, it seems that Now You See Me: Now You Don’t will intermingle the two groups of magicians plenty. This means that more than one person might fulfill a similar function, and different characters handle overlap differently.

Bosco, in particular, “is sort of trying to fill J. Daniel’s shoes in a way,” Sessa explained. “We’re fighting for the same space because that’s how Atlas has existed in this series; he’s the face, and people take his lead. He also has that self-righteous atтιтude towards himself, and I think Bosco definitely shares that a little bit, which maybe creates a bit of a conflict between them.”

On the opposite end is June, who isn’t burdened by being the “only girl” the way her predecessors were because Henley is back in the game. “I think a huge part of bonding with Isla was us saying we were the girls in the group,” Greenblatt revealed. “We were standing our ground and doing what we had to do as the girls.” She poked gentle fun at her castmates, adding, “I think we had a lot of fun saying that we’re always the first on set as the girls, and we’re always waiting on the guys and stuff like that.”

In terms of the characters themselves, Greenblatt’s review of their dynamic was even more glowing. “Henley is so cool, and I know June definitely looked up to her for the longest time. I think she looked up to all the OG horsemen, but Henley being the only girl and keeping up with everyone definitely made her someone that June and I both look up to. It was really fun getting to know her.”

Rosamund Pike Is The Biggest Bad The Now You See Me Universe Has Seen

“She’s Such A F–king Amazing Actress, But She’s Also So Kind”

The cast of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t would not be complete without a mention of Pike, who portrays the matriarch of the Vanderberg family and the film’s final boss, as it were. Despite her kindhearted and heavenly appearance, she is no stranger to portraying cold and calculating characters, with Gone Girl and I Care A Lot being prime examples.

Smith was quick to sing her praises as both a person and actor: “I would marry her if there weren’t a lot of things that needed to happen in order for that to be possible. She is just so cool, such a badᴀss. She’s so good! She’s such a f–king amazing actress, but she’s also so kind.”

When it comes to the character of Veronika, she transforms into a mastermind who provides the magicians their toughest task yet. “I think the Three Foals [Laughs], or the Three Baby Horsemen or Ponies, take pride in the fact that Atlas is trying to recruit us for something this big,” Smith explained. “But it’s not an easy ask; there’s a lot that goes into it. Even though we’re hesitant at first, I think we become fully pᴀssionate about doing what’s right because we love the morality of the Horsemen; we love that they’re these purveyors of justice.”

Ruben Fleischer Is Directing 2 Now You See Me Movies, And For Good Reason

“He Makes Us All Better People And Actors”

If a fourth movie announcement before the third is out wasn’t enough, this marks the first time we have the same director sticking around for another Now You See Me installment. When asked how they thought Fleischer elevated the story, Greenblatt was quick to point out. “It’s all about the purity of magic, and I think he cares so much about that, especially in this film. He wanted it to all be practical, and I think that’s something the whole cast really valued and appreciated. I think if anyone’s going to do Now You See Me right, Ruben’s the guy.”

Perhaps more important is that “he had so much fun on set,” according to Greenblatt. “He gets us all with the game nights and the bonding, and he really went out of his way to make sure that to have fun on set and that, at the same time, we were allowed to make a good movie. He holds us to an expectation that makes us all better people and actors, and I’m very proud of him. So, it’s going to be fun.”

Sessa added that, “It’s hard for him to limit the level at which he wants to do stuff. When he’s explaining it, he’s just so nonchalant and chill.” His impersonation of his director was almost as spot on as his Atlas one: “‘Yeah, so you guys are going to zip line into the scene and onto a ship.’” You’re hearing the way he’s talking about it, and you’re like, “‘Should I be freaking out right now? Or is it actually fine?’“

The final verdict? “I think the calm and ease with which he approaches really mᴀssive scenes that are impossible for me to picture in my head makes it all the better. I think it’s going to be awesome to do that again.”

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t arrives in theaters on November 14.