In a time when sequels and reboots rule the roost, it's somewhat gratifying to see an original film do well at the theater. One of last year's successes was Louis Leterrier's flashy, showbiz heist movie Now You See Me, in which Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher played a group of magicians who uncover the secrets to pulling off shows so incredible that they seem almost impossible.

Now You See Me was a modest success at the box office, grossing over $350 million worldwide, and Lionsgate has taken this as a sign that moviegoers are eager to see more fresh new properties and ideas.

Just kidding. A sequel to Now You See Me was announced shortly after the release of the first film, and Deadline reports that Lionsgate is wasting no time getting it into production. Now You See Me 2 (not the official title) will begin filming in the US, Europe and Asia starting in September 2014. The diverse range of locations, in addition to providing plenty of interesting environments to work with, are also intended "to capitalize on the property’s international appeal."

Melanie Laurent and Mark Ruffalo in Now You See Me (REVIEW)

The report promises that most of the original cast - which also included Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman and Mélanie Laurent - will be returning, and that there plans to include some "exciting new additions" as well. Eisenbergwas recently cast as Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman, which begins filming this summer, so there's a good chance that he will move straight on to the Now You See Me sequel immediately afterwards.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer added that the studio sees Now You See Me as a potential franchise, along with upcoming titles like Gods of Egypt, Mordecai and Chaos Walking. It was announced in August last year that Leterrier will be returning to direct the sequel, but there's no news yet as to who'll be penning the script.

Now You See Me had a pretty ambiguous ending that left plenty of room to expand upon the mythology that the movie had already built up, and there's always room in the world for a few more magic tricks.

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We'll keep you updated on Now You See Me 2 as the project develops.

Source: Deadline