Rosamund Pike wants you to enjoy the villain - and she's bringing Bond energy to Now You See Me: Now You Don't
Some villains make you grit your teeth. The best ones? You can't look away. That's where Rosamund Pike (movies and tv series) is aiming in Now You See Me: Now You Don't - playful, watchable, and dangerous enough to keep the Four Horsemen on their toes.
"My part in it is to serve the franchise by delivering a villain that's worthy of these very intelligent horsemen," Pike said in a recent interview. She wanted a movie people could just enjoy. No homework. Just a good time - with a sharp edge.
A villain who's having fun
Pike plays Veronika Vanderberg, a South African CEO running a dirty diamond empire with old money and even older secrets. The setup is simple: after a decade apart, the Four Horsemen are pulled back together to pry a priceless stone - The Heart - from Veronika's grip. Classic cat-and-mouse, except the mouse might be smiling.
"I wanted Veronica to be having fun," Pike said. "I think the best villains are… They're most watchable when they're fun to watch and they're having fun." And you can feel that in the way she talks about the diamond business - the illusion, the sell, the confidence that turns words into currency.
Words as weapons, and the snap from charm to ruthless
Pike describes Veronika as someone who can pitch a dream to workers and dignitaries with total poise - then, moments later, cut to the bone in the boardroom. That fast switch is the trick. It keeps you unsteady. You think you know her, and then you don't.
There's an early scene - no spoilers - where she proves just how powerful she is using nothing but her voice. No screaming. No chaos. Just control. It sets the tone: this is someone who can move a room without moving an inch.
The Bond roots are still there - just sharper
Pike's no stranger to a good heel turn. She made her feature debut opposite Pierce Brosnan (movies and tv series) in Die Another Day as Miranda Frost - the MI6 agent who smiles, then betrays. Then came Amy Dunne (movies and tv series) in Gone Girl, a character who still lives rent-free in pop culture's head.
"I kind of learned probably post-Bond," she said, noting how villains become the most watchable when they're clearly having a good time. You can see the throughline: icy control, wit, and a little glint that says, I'm three steps ahead and enjoying it.
She's also clear about something else: Veronika's power can feel inspiring and unsettling at the same time. "She's sort of in a room full of men doing something that, as a woman, you might admire… and yet there's also something uncomfortably kind of manipulative about it." That blur matters. It's what makes her interesting - and dangerous.
The heist is back - with old faces and a few new tricks
Ruben Fleischer (movies and tv series) directs this third outing, with a screenplay from Michael Lesslie, Paul Wernick (movies and tv series), Rhett Reese (movies and tv series), and Seth Grahame-Smith (movies and tv series). Jesse Eisenberg (movies and tv series), Woody Harrelson (movies and tv series), Dave Franco (movies and tv series), and Isla Fisher (movies and tv series) return as the Horsemen, joined by three younger con-artist-magicians played by Dominic Sessa (movies and tv series), Justice Smith (movies and tv series), and Ariana Greenblatt (movies and tv series).
What's the pitch? A priceless diamond, a billionaire with an image to sell, and a team that knows how to turn illusion into leverage. Magicians versus a mogul who knows marketing is its own kind of magic.
What this could mean
If Pike sticks the landing - and she usually does - Veronika could give this franchise a fresh jolt. The Four Horsemen thrive when the puzzle on the other side feels unsolvable. And honestly, a villain who's clearly having fun tends to be the one (movies and tv series) we talk about on the way out of the theater.
Now You See Me: Now You Don't opens in theaters on November 14, 2025. Mark your calendars, because it sounds like the first reveal happens before any sleight of hand - in the way she speaks, and how fast the room tilts in her favor.
