Ariana

The Louvre heist was not just an elaborate stunt dreamed up by the Now You See Me: Now You Don’t marketing team to promote the third instalment of the franchise. Well, we’re pretty sure it wasn’t. “No comment,” the film’s stars Rosamund Pike, Ariana Greenblatt, and Isla Fisher respond in unison when I ask them to clear up the rumors once and for all. The trio is sitting side by side (by side) in New York City during the movie’s press junket and their easy rapport and deadpan comedic timing is as pitch perfect offscreen as it is on the big screen. 

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t reunites Fisher with original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, and Woody Harrelson as the OG four horsemen, a team of magicians who also do heists. In this sequel, they reunite to recruit three new illusionists (Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa and Justice Smith) for their toughest job yet: the theft of the world’s biggest diamond. The timing of the release has made for some hilarious memes as the internet continues to revel in the absurdity and fantasy of the real-life Louvre heist. In a time when unemployment is on the rise and the rich are running amok and wreaking havoc on the poor — and the social services in place to support them — who doesn’t love the idea of rogue rascals sticking it to a bougie institution by running off with its crown jewels? That’s exactly what you see, and get, with Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. 

Fittingly, the movie’s big bad villain is a white South African named Veronika Vanderberg (played by Pike who is having the time of her life as the delightfully devilish foe) and it’s full of the escapist eat-the-rich energy that seems to be permeating the zeitgeist now more than ever (recession indicator). Plus, the movie is about as anti-capitalist and anti-billionaire as a popcorn flick about magicians can be. 

“Everyone needs a little bit of magic right now,” Fisher says when I ask about the film’s anarchist spirit. She’s right. This instalment is just as silly and entertaining as the previous two (with another twist you won’t see coming), which is exactly the vibe it feels like audiences are craving. And these three women from different generations who occupy three very different spaces in Hollywood — the Gen Z rising star (Greenblatt), the comedy queen primed for a comeback (Fisher), and the Oscar-nominated powerhouse (Pike) — are the perfect trio to pull off the impossible: sprinkling a little joy onto our timelines. 

Here, along with gushing over Greenblatt, the stars talk about bonding with the stacked cast, the illusion of Hollywood, and decide which pop stars would make the best magicians. 

Refinery29: Isla, you are returning to this franchise after a decade while Rosamund and Ariana are new to it. How did you welcome the new cast to this world and did you give them any advice? 

Isla Fisher: At the beginning, it was quite interesting. There was a bit of a divide. There were the old horsemen and we would go to set on time, no offense. Oh, we’d stand on our marks waiting, and we’d wait for the new ponies to show up, and they would be very suspicious of us and use words like “rizz” and “slay,” which we didn’t understand [laughs]. Then, finally, I think it was the time that actually Morgan Freeman showed up on set that we were able to join together, and then we became the best of friends. All of us get on so well and it suddenly went from being two organisms to one loving family.

Rosamund Pike: That’s the first day I showed up on set and I didn’t know [what to expect]. 

IF: I knew, and have always been a massive fan of [Rosamund’s] so I was so excited that she was joining us, because obviously she’s the most brilliant actor. I felt very comfortable right away with her.

Ariana Greenblatt: Justice [Smith] and I were so excited the day [Rosamund] showed up. So excited [and] so nervous. It was the queen arriving. Justice and I have this ongoing competition for your love that you don’t know about. 

RP: Well, you came to my play so you’re winning.

AG: I supported her when I was in London, and it was the best thing ever. But yeah, I feel like Dominic [Sessa], Justice, and I were equally nervous to join this already existing family. And they really welcomed us with open arms. And it was a quick bond. 

Rosamund, your character Veronika Vanderberg is such a good villain. You’re very good at playing characters we love to hate like in I Care A Lot and Gone Girl, for example. What is it about those roles that you are drawn to? 

RP: I hesitated to do this because I thought, maybe nobody needs to see me do that again. And then I realized it wasn’t exactly again, because Veronica is different. I mean, basically because she’s got a different accent, which is good enough for me [laughs]. Once I decided that she could sound different, I thought, yeah, I’m going to do this. Ruben [Fleischer], our director, promised that I would have a great time on this film and people say that, but he was absolutely right. We had a great time. I was sad to leave it behind. These guys need a good adversary, don’t they? And with Veronica, I was interested in whipping her character into a shape where she was having fun, and then I hoped that an audience would have fun watching her demise, because the more arrogant she can be, and the more pleasure she’s taking in herself for the longest time, then the greater the glee when you know she falls apart if she does. 

Ariana, your character June has this great, dry, dark sense of humor. She’s really smart but constantly underestimated because of her size and she’s a young girl. Why do you think teen girls are consistently underestimated and what did you enjoy about getting to explore that? 

AG: Yeah, absolutely. It’s an unfortunate male-dominated world and they see a five-foot girl and they’re like, you can do nothing. June is the definition of underestimated. She doesn’t flaunt what she can do, and she doesn’t really have to prove anything loudly to people. She just kind of lets it speak for herself when needed. And I think that was the most fun for me with June. When the time comes and when there’s danger ahead, she’s good. She doesn’t need anybody else. That was really fun.

IF: And she did a lot of stunts. I’m just gonna, like, blow her up for a minute. [Ariana] is the most precise stunt person. [Ariana laughs]. You don’t laugh at this! This is genuine. What she can physically do — her prowess in the fight sequences that she does in this movie were amazing. I’ve seen her do it in other films, but seeing you do it on set, and watching you, particularly when you climb the wall and just you’re deeply athletic, which is, of course, impressive, but it translates into her stunts being another level. It was so cool to watch. You could be like Tomb Raider! 

RP: It’s precision and power and accuracy. 

IF: Yeah! And it’s control. It’s also bravery. You have to silence that inner voice to really perform it. And she does it perfectly.

AG: Thank you. 

RP:  And you look cool doing it, whereas I think I can do stuff like that but when I do it, I just don’t look cool. 

IF: Yeah, it’s a wedgie for mom, it doesn’t go well for us. It’s just bingo wings and wedgies [laughs]. No one wants that.

AG:  Thank you. I appreciate it. 

Isla and Rosamund, listening to you talk and hype up Ariana, I want to know if there’s something you wish you knew at Ariana’s age that you would go back and tell your younger selves?

RP: Everything. 

AG: Everything. But she already knows it. And I knew that about her before I even met her, because I have daughters. And they would give me Ariana quotes and I’d say, “Who said that?” And they’re like “Mommy, the actress from Barbie. She’s so forward thinking, she’s so progressive, she’s such a feminist.” And I was like, “Who is this magical unicorn that exists?” Back in our day, we used to talk about which boys liked us, and it was just so brilliant to meet her and have the wealth of her very unique perspective. She’s such an original thinker. She lives her life authentically. I’m sorry, this has turned into a talk show about you [laughs]. 

RP: I didn’t have any of that sort of smarts or eloquence or ideas that were beyond my knowledge. I feel like Arianna is such a much more global citizen than I was at that age. Here we are in New York and I remember the first time I came to New York. I just didn’t know what to do with the city or how to be in this city. You’re so well traveled. And I just remember looking at a bowl of berries, which didn’t even exist in London, and thinking, “America!”

Ariana, what does it mean to you to hear these two talk about you like that?

AG: It’s amazing. It’s so validating, especially from women like these two, and they’re so talented and they’re so intelligent, and I just love being in their presence and being able to work with them. I kind of just soaked up everything and more. It’s incredible. I feel like I never know what I’m saying or doing at all. So from an outsider’s perspective, knowing that I could be on the right path or that I’m doing something correct is really, really nice. I tend to be an overthinker, so it’s nice to be validated by people I would dream to be validated by. 

Now You See Me is all about illusion, nothing is as it seems. You could say the same about Hollywood. Was there something in this industry that maybe isn’t as it appears from the outside looking in that surprised you to find out once you were in it? 

RP: Yeah, men take way longer in makeup than women! 

IF: And then they act like they’re really alpha, but they’ve got mascara on. It’s like, honey, I would listen to your opinion, but you have a foundation line that ends at your chin. 

AG: [laughs] Absolutely! They need their snacks and their massages. And it’s like we’re wearing a corset. For me, obviously, [you’re shooting] for months, so there’s the time of the month when you’re a woman and you have heels on and a corset and you just have to live life like that’s normal. And I just remember being like Ow, it hurts. And no one understood, except my fellow girls. 

IF: We get it. We get it! I feel like the biggest surprise for me was the red carpet piece being so corporate. I always thought it was a moment to express yourself and just wear something that you like, but it’s a lot. It’s a business. It’s more of a business than maybe it appears from the outside.

AG: For me, what was shocking was how many like stories that I’ve heard about how people mistreat other people, like they think that they are better than everyone else that’s making them who they are. I’ve been getting my hair and makeup done and I hear stories. It’s not in my nature to even think that that’s acceptable or okay. But the people that seem super gracious, unfortunately they mistreat people.

IF: Are you looking at me? [laughs] Where’s my coffee! 

OK, we’re going to end on some rapid fire questions. Who’s most likely to pull off a heist?

IF: Rosamund, obviously!

RP: Ariana.

AG: [laughs] The duo! 

RP: I’ll tell you how to do it and she’ll execute. 

Which one of you is driving the getaway car?

RP: Isla’s driving the getaway car.

AG: Isla, you’ve got the car. 

IF: Correct. I’m very good with a minivan. I know, it’s sexy. 

If you could have any magic ability, which one would you pick?

IF: Getting my kids to eat vegetables! 

RP: Oh god, invisibility.

AG: Yes! 

Which pop star would make the best magician? 

IF: Dua Lipa because she sings that song “Levitating.”

RP: Eminem.

AG: I was gonna say Charlie XCX. Or Billie [Eilish], because she’s a siren so she’ll lure your brain like Merritt [McKinney, played by Woody Harrelson]. She’ll do some mentalism. 

RP: That’s four horsemen right there. 

That’s a good lineup. The Louvre heist was pulled off in seven minutes. What could you pull off in seven  minutes? 

RP: I couldn’t even get out of bed in seven minutes.

IF: You know what’s weird about this? I do a seven- minute workout. There’s this thing that you can Google, and it’s called a seven-minute workout. 

RP: I told you you have the legs of a teenager. 

AG: Nothing’s getting done in seven minutes. 

Which star sign would make the best horsemen illusionist?

IF: Scorpio! Cunning, manipulative. 

AG: Gemini, because don’t you have to be like two different people?

RP: Yeah, Gemini. 

What’s something that you would rant about for 29 seconds? What’s the thing you want to go off on?

RP: Okay, I’m ranting about those little foil things that you get at the end of a tube of toothpaste when you really need to brush your teeth and you need to be really fast, and then you get the cap off, and there’s one of those funny foil things, and you’ve got to get your nail under it. Those things really piss me off. 

IF: I’m going to go with parent chat groups. I’m on one right now that’s done my head in. If somebody just writes, “Thanks,” your phone just vibrates for hours and hours. You don’t need to thank anyone. Just stop texting. And then when you ask something real, like, “What day is book week?” and “Is it like pajama day?” it’s silence, crickets. You can’t get anyone on there. 

RP: And we should never say thanks to an AI either. It’s apparently using up loads and loads of energy just to say thanks to people. 

AG: Or using it in general. 

RP: Being polite costs masses and masses of wattage. 

IF: I thought if you weren’t polite, then when [AI] comes to take over us, they’ll just pick all the rude ones first.

RP: [laughs]

AG: I want to rant about mean people on the internet and in real life. You’re not better than anybody. Seriously, like, learn some manners. I can’t stand it. 

RP: This is what we’re talking about. I’m talking about the silver foil at the end of a toothpaste and she’s talking about something global and relevant. I’m utterly selfish. 

IF: You’ve just highlighted the generational difference [laughs].

AG: There’s so much hatred. It’s so useless, it’s so annoying. It’s so much easier to just be chill. 

IF: Take the silver thing off the toothpaste! 

AG: And don’t say thank you to AI! And AI actresses don’t exist! 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is in theaters this Friday, November 14th.

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