“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” pulls one of the oldest tricks in the movie franchise book: the infusion of new blood.

Most of the key players from 2013’s reasonably enjoyable magicians-as-thieves romp “Now You See Me” and its middling 2016 sequel, “Now You See Me 2,” return in the third entry, hitting theaters this week. However, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher, as veteran heisters the Four Horsemen, are joined by younger newcomers Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt, as an appealing trio of up-and-coming illusionists, which gives this latest trickery-filled series a boost.

Presto chango!

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, of “Zombieland” fame, “Now You Don’t” begins with the kids, Bosco (Sessa), June (Greenblatt) and Charlie (Smith). Selling the idea that the Horsemen will make their first public appearance in years, they lure some crooked crypto bros to an event and, elaborately but easily, relieve them of funds that they then redistribute.

Back in their New York City living space/secret hideout, an uninvited guest, Eisenberg’s Danny Atlas, is waiting for the three. He’s not there to scold them for impersonating him — along with Harrelson’s Merritt McKinney, Fisher’s Henley Reeves and Franco’s Jack Wilder — but instead to recruit them for a big job.

Atlas believes The Eye — the secret society under which the Horsemen worked back when, well, they worked — wants him, Charlie, June and Bosco to steal the Heart Diamond. The giant gem has, for a quarter of a century, resided in a vault 70 stories beneath the Arabian Desert, but it soon will be shown off in Europe.

They take some convincing — well, the brash Bosco takes some convincing — but soon enough the five of them are working to relieve high-powered diamond dealer Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike) of her company’s most prized possession. As things get hairy, they’re joined, much to the surprise of Atlas, by Henley — sidelined in the previous entry due to Fisher’s pregnancy and replaced by Lizzy Caplan’s Lula May — and Jack.

Thus, we now have a gang of seven, with three natural pairings: Atlas and Bosco, with their similar personalities and tendency to instantly irritate the other; Jack and June, both of whom have a gift for getting past complex locks; and Henley and Charlie, the former wondering if the latter is content being the person behind the scenes in his group. (There’s no new pal for mentalist and hypnosis wizard Merritt, but Harrelson generates enough interest on his own.) This helps keep things fresh, as there’s not much new territory to be explored when it comes to the dynamics existing within the Four Horsemen, even if there are lingering sore feelings over some events since we last saw them together — including the revealed fate of Mark Ruffalo’s character, Dylan Rhodes.

The production is keeping a secret or three, understandably, but it’s apparent from the trailer that the Horsemen meet up with an old acquaintance, Morgan Freeman’s retired magician-turned-debunker and high-ranking member of The Eye, Thaddeus Bradley. Bradley has taken on a fatherly role with the group by this point, and veteran actor Freeman excels in it.

The standout among the newcomers is, unquestionably, Sessa, who impresses again after his acclaimed performance in 2023’s “The Holdovers.”

Penned by Michael Lesslie, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese and Seth Grahame-Smith, with Eric Warren Singer and Lesslie sharing credit for the story, the relatively predictable “Now You Don’t” isn’t quite as fun as the first flick. However, absence really does make the heart grow fonder; it’s been a while since we’ve spent time with the old guard, and they mix nicely with the pups.

The direction by Fleischer — whose credits also include “Gangster Squad,” “Uncharted” and “Venom” — is serviceable, but the movie’s a little shinier and slicker than it needs to be. A magic-off among the seven magicians after they’ve been drawn into an ornate, surprises-filled French chateau cements the fact that whatever sense of realism that existed in “Now You See Me” is a thing of the past.

Then again, “Now You Don’t” keeps alive the franchise’s tradition of explaining the BIG tricks, including the one leading up to the film’s big reveal. (Admittedly, we didn’t guess it, but the person to our left at an advanced screening did.)

Fleischer and company don’t make viewers sit through a batch of closing credits before delivering an all-but-obligatory scene hinting at further Horsemen adventures to come. This is hardly surprising, as a fourth film has been announced, with the director attached to return.

In the meantime, we’ll wait to see whether audiences are still entranced by the Horsemen’s spell.

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‘NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T’

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG-13 (for some strong language, violence and suggestive references)

Running time: 1:52

How to watch: In theaters Nov. 14

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