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Quick Answer: For the sequel, the Now You See Me filmmakers wanted to hire a director familiar with directing pictures with lots of motion. Jon M. Chu has directed a number of dance and music-related films which give him a particular skill set for capturing motion and movement on film in a very particular way. With the heavy amount of practical magic performed in Now You See Me 2, this type of direction is crucial to the film’s success.

Martha Graham once called the foot a magic miracle upon which dance celebrates. Dance allows a human to make art from the mere act of moving his or her body, evoking emotional response through precision and practice of physical control and manipulation of expectations. Graham understood the magic of movement, and on that same principle, the producers of Now You See Me 2 (2016) conjured up Jon M. Chu as the film’s director.

Chu is known for his work directing Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) and Step Up 3D (2010), as well as Justin Bieber’s documentaries Never Say Never (2011) and Believe (2013). He additionally directed the action film G. I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and music fantasy/drama Jem and the Holograms (2015). He was brought on board for the Now You See Me (2013) sequel because of this background in directing performance-oriented, movement-based material. As much of Now You See Me 2’s magic is performed practically by the actors without the use of special effects, having a director familiar with movement-based work is paramount. The camera needs to be able to make the performance look believable and fluid, capturing the nuances of the motion while maintaining the grandeur of the trick at hand.

The film’s production notes read, “With expertise in movement, technology and cutting-edge design, Chu brought just the combination of skills the producers were looking for to make big, bold and innovative onscreen magic.”

Chu’s films haven’t been the type to bring in numerous awards or establish him as a leading director. But they are the type filled with action and energy carried by the performances of their actors. The cast of Now You See Me 2, which includes five Oscar winners and nominees, trained with several top-working magicians to hone their skills and perfect magic techniques. It is very much a film that gets all its credibility from the performers and their ability to pull off the spectacles being shown on-screen. The need to capture those tricks in a manner that supports the narrative and capitalizes on their splendor is crucial to the film’s success.

“There are so many things that I really like about working with Jon,” says screenwriter and executive producer Ed Solomon. “He’s very trusting of the artists around him because he believes they will bring their best work to the movie. Just knowing he believes that makes people strive to do it. He’s got an incredible eye and he’s really good with choreography and movement. His rapport with the actors is great. Jon runs a really calm and easy set, and given how complicated this movie is, that’s a really great place to be.”

A card trick in Now You See Me 2

Producer Bobby Cohen furthered that sentiment, saying, “I’ve known Jon for about ten years. He had just come out of USC film school where he made an extraordinary short that was a full-fledged musical. He was one of the first people we thought of for this. He really understands that choreography and movement within a frame is essential to what magicians do.”

There is sound logic in the concept of hiring a director like Chu for a project like Now You See Me 2. The actors transformed into authentic illusionists for the picture. The believability of their magical skills as rendered on screen will either make or break the picture.