A new show, “Now You See Me Live,” is moving into David Copperfield’s former theater following his being shown the door at MGM Grand.
“Now You See Me Live,” inspired by the “Now You See Me” film franchise (the first of which was pretty good), launches Oct. 15, 2026. The show will run through January 5, 2027. We trust if it does well, it could be extended.
David Copperfield’s 25-year run at MGM Grand ended on April 30, 2026. MGM Resorts never explicitly stated why Copperfield’s show was terminated, but it rhymes with Meffrey Mepstein. Copperfield has denied all blah blah.
Anyway, there’s a new, less creepy magic show coming to MGM Grand.
“Now You See Me Live” is based on the Lionsgate movies about a group of illusionists known as the “Four Horsemen.” One of the “Four Horsemen” was a woman, so technically it should’ve been the “Four Horsepersons,” but anon.
The movie franchise starred Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman. The original “Now You See Me” was released in 2013, followed by “Now You See Me 2” in 2016 and “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” in 2025. Otherwise known in movie circles as “the law of diminishing returns.”
The movies have been brutalized by critics, but audiences don’t seem to care. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Now You See Me” got a rating of 51% from critics, but 70% thumbs up from audiences. “Now You See Me 2” got a cringeworthy 33% rating from critics, but it was 53% from audiences. The most recent installment, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” got 60% from critics, 79% from audiences.
The only number that matters: The “Now You See Me” movies have made about $933 million worldwide theatrically. Licensing the name to a magic show adds more dollars to the coffers, at least until the “Now You See Me” slot machine comes out.
In the films, the magicians use misdirection, sleight of hand and elaborate stunts to pull off heists and make fools of law enforcement officials. You know, the same thing David Copperfield has done for decades.
Note: David Copperfield is known for being litigious. This blog post contains what are commonly referred to as “jokes.” Humor, satire, parody and opinion are protected by the First Amendment. So, Copperfield legal team, tuck your impressive legal instruments back into your briefs. This ain’t our first rodeo.
Anyway, the new show at MGM Grand will feature four illusionists you’ve never heard of stepping into the Four Horsemen concept: Andrew Basso, Gabriella Lester, Adam Trent and Enzo Weyne.
Andrew Basso is an Italian escape artist known for Houdini-style stunts; Gabriella Lester is a South African-born Canadian magician and escape artist who may be familiar to fans of “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” following her appearance on the show in 2022; Adam Trent is an American magician, comedian and singer; and Enzo Weyne is a French illusionist known for large-scale theatrical illusions.
The show has appeared in Australia and Singapore for some reason, but this will be its U.S. debut.
The show comes from Australian producers Simon Painter and Tim Lawson, the guys behind another magic show, “The Illusionists.” All you really need to know about “The Illusionists” is the fact it’s “led by world‐famous illusionist Hans Klok.”
So, what does “Now You See Me Live” have to do with the “Now You See Me” movie franchise? From what we can tell, it has four magicians.
Our local “journalists” didn’t have time to Google anything about the show when it was announced, so we’ll do it.
The aforementioned Guardian said the show’s “biggest sleight-of-hand might be nicking the franchise’s name.”
Broadway World raved, “Highly recommended. Each of the Four Horsemen delivers a must-see moment that will leave you spellbound!” See? It’s not just Las Vegas that has kiss-assy entertainment reporters. (To his credit, Johnny Kats at the Las Vegas Review-Journal was the first to report this show was in the works for MGM Grand. See, Kats? That’s what attribution looks like.)
The Scoop wrote a similarly glowing review: “‘Now You See Me Live’ goes beyond its namesake movies to become an experience that everyone, not just fans, will enjoy. It is an out-of-this-world, reality-bending show that the whole family will love.”
The AU Review said, “Each magician brings a different skill set to the table, and each is given their time to shine. Full of humour and audience participation, there was a real sense of community in the room, as people turned to the stranger next to them in disbelief.”
Can any review be trusted that spells “humor” with a “u”? What’s next, spelling “analyze” with an “s”? Or maybe we should all start giving parts of our cars silly, made-up names? “That’s not a trunk, it’s a boot!” “It’s not a hood, it’s a bonnet!” Look over here! It’s not a cookie, it’s a biscuit!
The bottom line is if you like large-scale prop illusions, “Now You See Me Live” is likely to check lots of boxes.
Great magic shows abound in Las Vegas, so it will be interesting to see how this show fares in a crowded marketplace where sports and Sphere have eroded attendance at traditional production shows.
Our tastes tend to lean toward quirky, skill-based, humor centric, ironic magic, rather than old-timey spectacle where pyro, posturing, self-seriousness and expensive props do all the heavy lifting. Penn & Teller, Mac King, Puff the Magic Dragon, along those lines.
Learn more and get tickets at the official MGM Resorts site.
MGM Resorts has wisely chosen to make this a limited run, so if it doesn’t meet expectations, “Now You See Me Live” can quietly vanish on January 5, 2027, exactly as planned, and that’s the story they’re sticking to.
