The movie: “Now You See Me 2.” The venue: Loews Lincoln Square. The red carpet: Specially ordered to be black, 190 feet long. The stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Daniel Radcliffe, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan.
Morgan Freeman: His suit, better than mine. Gold earrings, smaller than mine. Beard, thicker than mine. “I play a debunker magician who tells people who’s manipulating what. Can’t remember my character’s name.” His p.r. guy: “I also can’t remember.” Stan Rosenfield, checking his phone, then says: “Thaddeus Bradley.”
Says Morgan: “Who remembers all this stuff? We’re getting old.”
Ruffalo: “I play a sort of FBI guy, crook, magician, poet, mastermind mishmash. The film’s about magic. But real magic is my career. That I’m here and starring is what’s sheer magic. Life’s illusion. I remember my beginning days. To be doing what I’m doing now is life’s greatest magic trick.”
Radcliffe: “I can actually do magic bits. Stuff that attracts kids. I play the antagonist whose intentions aren’t that good.” About J.K. Rowling’s coming play it’s, “I’m a bit intimidated. It’s quite intense. And I don’t want to upset the audience. They need their privacy.” (He’s English. He pronounced it ‘prihvacy’). Besides, the lead’s in his 40s. There’s no part for me in it.”
Eisenberg: “I play a great magician. In real life, I can do enough magic tricks to entertain a 5-year-old for two seconds. Like snap changes. Show a card, then snap out another card.” And his coming Father’s Day trick?
“I’ll send a tie.” About this movie: “I haven’t seen it. I never do. I never see my movies.”
Franco: “We learned a lot making this. Rehearsal schedule included two-week magic camp so we could actually learn maneuvers and they needn’t totally rely on long shots, replacements or photos.” On his older brother James Franco, it’s: “He directed a movie starring us both. It’s great working together. He’s very hands-on. He taught me patience and to not take anything just to keep working.”
Caplan: Knockout freebie, borrowed designer shmatta. Nice-looking dude on her arm. “I play Lula. I’ve done magic before. Card tricks for friends. Not great, but it’s the best I can do.” And Lizzy’s Father’s Day trick? “I’m investigating his DNA. Checking who he is, where’s he coming from.” Daddy must be doing good because his kid looks terrific.
Behind the scenes
Real pro David Copperfield, who co-produced “Now You See Me 2”: “What I’m excited about is your friend Judge Judy renting my private Musha Cay island in the Bahamas every year for family vacation. I love her.” OK, but what about this movie? I taught them all some stuff from my David Copperfield Theater in Vegas.” OK, but will you earn as much from this film as you do renting your island? “No.”
One note about the premiere’s staff. Security man Roger Akiki’s personnel are always nice and polite. Also, it was windy. Publicist-in-charge Ashton Fontana’s short short flared skirt kept flaring. Between the movie and her moves, it was a tossup as to which was the better entertainment.
Please try to pay attention
So where’d Brooklyn Decker grab a snack? Le Pain Quotidien. In Brooklyn? No, Larchmont . . . SET designers competing for Tonys — David Korins for “Hamilton,” David Rockwell for “She Loves Me.” Clawing rivals? No, lunch pals. Every two months . . .
Speaking of awards, when Jonathan Demme won his Oscar for “Silence of the Lambs,” it was silence of the director. He said “uhm” 90 times . . .
And in respect to Bernie Socialist: May his tripe decrease.
Muttered at the movie premiere: “While we’re speaking about tricks, be it known the president is concerned about falling profits, slowing employment and declining stocks. Or, as the old saying goes: ‘Misery loves companies.’ ”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.