Did real Louvre Paris robbery inspire Louvre Abu Dhabi heist shot in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’?: Stars spill

Dubai: The cast of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t -- Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, and Dominic Sessa -- entered the room already buzzing with mischief, and it didn’t take long before the jokes started flying—especially when the topic veered toward the Louvre Abu Dhabi heist sequence.

When I asked the question everyone secretly wanted answered—was the dazzling Louvre stunt inspired by some inside information or a real heist blueprint?—Isla Fisher leaned into the moment with a playful pause. “We can’t tell you,” she teased, her eyes dancing.

“Let’s just say Lionsgate have their tentacles everywhere.” With that, the tone was set: cheeky, conspiratorial, and utterly in tune with the franchise’s spirit.

Before we got to Abu Dhabi, the cast whose movie releases today reminisced about shooting in Antwerp, another key location. Dominic Sessa lit up talking about filming inside its impressive train station and discovering the city’s diamond history. Meanwhile, Jesse Eisenberg confessed to being fascinated by something far more niche: the window panes in Antwerp’s central square. Their number, he explained, symbolised wealth—a detail only Eisenberg could deliver with earnest enthusiasm.

But nothing lit up Isla Fisher quite like talking about her time in Abu Dhabi. “We shot in the Louvre, which was an amazing experience,” she said, almost reverently.

“They shut it down for us, and we would do nights there… everywhere you looked, you could see for miles, and you were still inside.” She even managed to squeeze in a private tour during a break, describing it as “special” in that understated way that actually means unforgettable.

The reunion energy among the returning cast was unmistakable. Jesse called the franchise “the most fun we have in our careers,” describing it like a thrill ride not just for audiences, but for them as actors. Isla felt the same, delighted to finally hear fans say they were excited about Henley being back. “It doesn’t feel like work,” she said, “because we love each other and have so much fun together.”

Dominic Sessa, the newcomer to this chaotic family, joined simply because he’d been a fan. “I really enjoyed the first one,” he said, prompting Isla to instantly interject—“That’s the one I was in”—setting off a chain of laughter that summed up their chemistry.

When asked about the tense dynamic between Jesse’s Danny Atlas and Dominic’s Bosco, Eisenberg leaned into the introspection. He sees Bosco as the younger, spotlight-hungry magician he once was.

“The things that annoy you,” he said, “are often the things you see in yourself.” Dominic agreed, saying Atlas forces Bosco to reflect on his own flaws—an oddly tender way to describe a rivalry built on ego and sleight of hand.

The conversation took a philosophical detour when someone asked why magic still fascinates people. Isla offered an elegant answer about the tension between what the mind knows and what the eyes see. Jesse compared it to the thrill of scary rides. Dominic summed it up simply—it makes adults feel childlike again.

A question about moral ambiguity in today’s movies brought out a surprisingly reflective Isla, who lamented how polarised society has become. “We used to separate our ideologies from our identity,” she said. “Now it feels like if someone thinks differently, that’s who they are.” Dominic added that the most interesting heroes are the ones who sometimes border on villainy—something the Horsemen have always embodied.

Isla also set the record straight about her infamous “near-drowning” story from the first film. Yes, her handcuffs got stuck, but no, she was never in real danger. “It was one of those press junket days,” she admitted, laughing. This time around, shooting the water tank scene with Dominic became an excuse for mischief. “We were very naughty,” she confessed, recalling how the crew could only communicate via loudspeaker while the two actors made each other laugh underwater.

When the eternal question—box office or critical acclaim—was tossed at the trio, Jesse delivered perhaps the line of the day: “Neither. I just want to spend more time at home.” Isla gave the more practical answer, pointing out that box office success lets actors choose more interesting roles later. Dominic, still early in his career, admitted he doesn’t think about these things yet.

As Jesse’s directing career gains momentum, he said working with Ruben Fleischer again—this being their fourth film together—felt like a masterclass. He recounted how Ruben had drones swooping above a tiny woodland scene just to make it visually exciting. Watching a director think like that, he said, is always inspiring.

One of the most revealing moments came when the cast reflected on what they learned about themselves during the shoot. Jesse shared that he absorbs the emotional posture of the characters he plays. When he plays someone anxious, he feels anxious; when he plays someone confident, he goes home feeling like he nailed the day. “I’m not a crazy person,” he concluded, prompting Isla to tease him: “That’s not true. He is crazy—just in the greatest way.” For Isla, the lesson was about enduring friendship. She revealed she was going through a tough personal time during the shoot, and being with this cast made her feel supported every day. Dominic discovered how much he depends on his castmates to do his best work.

Then came the cheekiest question of the afternoon: did the Horsemen have anything to do with the real-life Louvre incident in France? Isla didn’t blink.

“We’ve been advised by our lawyers not to answer that,” she said firmly, before softening it with a smile. The group then joked that their next targets would be “any museum with weak infrastructure,” ideally robbed during school hours because, as Isla said, “We’ve got families. We can’t go after 7pm—bath and bed time.”

As the interview wound down, the cast reflected on the film’s pointed commentary about corporate greed. Jesse drew parallels to Robin Hood, pointing out that their characters steal from corrupt billionaires—like Rosamund Pike’s fabulously dangerous diamond heiress—and give back to those who need it. Isla celebrated the fact that the film’s baddie is a woman, declaring with delight: “Don’t we love that it’s a woman baddie?”

By the time they wrapped up, it was clear why the Now You See Me franchise refuses to disappear. Beyond the twists, illusions, and diamond-studded heists, the magic lies in something much simpler: a group of actors who genuinely enjoy each other, spark off each other, and bring that sense of play into every frame. In other words, the real trick is that there’s no trick at all—you see exactly what they are. And then, just like that, you don’t.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't is out in UAE cinemas now