Dave Franco: This Blockbuster Nearly Ended My Career
Dave Franco Thought ‘Now You See Me’ Would Ruin His Career — It Made $930 Million Instead
The Big Surprise on ‘Hot Ones’
Imagine eating super spicy chicken wings while answering tough questions. That’s exactly what actor Dave Franco did on the popular YouTube show "Hot Ones." Host Sean Evans asked him: "What movie did you think would flop but actually became a huge hit?"
Dave didn’t hesitate. His answer? The "Now You See Me" series.
Important Point: Dave Franco has been in three "Now You See Me" movies so far, with a fourth one on the way!
What Is ‘Now You See Me’ Anyway?
Think of it like Ocean’s Eleven meets magic shows. Here’s the simple breakdown:
- The Four Horsemen = A team of magicians (played by Dave Franco, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, and Woody Harrelson)
- Their trick = They rob banks during their live magic shows
- The twist = They give the stolen money to their audience!
- The cast = Also includes Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, and Common
The Day They Thought Their Careers Were Over
Dave shared a funny (and honest) story about the very first day of filming the original movie in 2013:
- The premise sounded crazy — "Magicians pulling off bank heists? Really?"
- Day one was total chaos — Nobody knew how to make it work
- The cast went to dinner together after filming wrapped
- They literally raised their glasses and toasted to "the end of our careers"
- Everyone was convinced this movie would destroy them professionally
Important Point: Even famous actors with big names (like Morgan Freeman!) thought this movie was a terrible idea at first.
From ‘Career Ender’ to Blockbuster Franchise
Fast forward to today, and look what happened:
| Movie | Year | What Happened |
|---|---|---|
| Now You See Me | 2013 | Surprise hit! |
| Now You See Me 2 | 2016 | Made even more money |
| Now You See Me: Now You Don’t | 2025 | Third huge success |
| Fourth movie | In development | Coming soon! |
Total worldwide earnings: Over $930 MILLION!
That’s not a career ender — that’s a career maker.
Dave’s Secret: Stop Worrying, Start Letting Go
Dave learned a big life lesson from this experience. Here’s his philosophy in simple terms:
"I’ve learned to never have expectations. I know how hard it is for a movie to succeed. So when one does well, it’s a nice surprise. I go into every release thinking: ‘I hope it does well, I’ll work hard to promote it, but who knows?’ It’s just letting go."
In kid terms: Do your best, hope for the best, but don’t stress about the outcome. What happens, happens!
What’s Next for Dave Franco?
His newest movie "Idiots" (originally called "The Shitheads" when it premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2026) hits theaters this Friday!
- It’s a stoner comedy (funny movie about people who smoke weed)
- Dave both acts in it AND produced it
- Premiered at the famous Sundance Film Festival first
Summary
- Dave Franco went on Hot Ones and revealed he thought "Now You See Me" would ruin his career
- First day of filming was so chaotic the whole cast toasted to "the end of their careers"
- Plot twist: The franchise made $930+ million worldwide across three movies
- Fourth movie is already being made
- Dave’s advice: Work hard, promote your stuff, but don’t stress about results — just let go
- New movie "Idiots" comes out this Friday
FAQ
Did Dave Franco really think the movie would fail?
Yes! He said on the first day, the whole cast went to dinner and "cheers’d to the end of our careers." They genuinely believed it would be a disaster.
How many "Now You See Me" movies are there?
Three so far (2013, 2016, 2025), with a fourth one currently in development.
Who else stars in the movies?
Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, and Common — a seriously A-list cast!
What is Dave Franco’s new movie?
It’s called "Idiots" (renamed from "The Shitheads"), a stoner comedy that premiered at Sundance 2026. It hits theaters this Friday.
What’s Dave’s advice for handling success and failure?
"Never have expectations. Hope it does well, push it as hard as you can, but who knows? It’s just letting go."