The Real Reason Isla Fisher Isn't In Now You See Me 2
"Now You See Me 2" is the fairly successful follow-up to the original "Now You See Me" film released in 2013. Both movies explore the realm of imagination where a dazzling magic show and a bank heist meet. The first movie had a lot of star power behind it, including the likes of Common, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine. But the stars of the movie — referred to as the Four Horsemen in the film — were Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson, and Isla Fisher.
Fisher has a long and successful history in Hollywood. She's starred in popular rom-coms like "Wedding Crashers," "Confessions of a Shopaholic," and more. The first "Now You See Me" movie made over $350 million worldwide and has 7.2/10 stars on IMDb. Considering what a big role it was, some fans may be wondering why she didn't appear in the sequel. Well, there's a very good reason for it — and it's not a very surprising one either.
Her pregnancy didn't align with the sequel's production schedule
Us Weekly reported that she and husband Sacha Baron Cohen became pregnant with their third child in late summer 2014 and announced it in October of that same year. In that report, a trusted source is quoted as saying that she "knew she wouldn't be able to do it" seeing as how production was scheduled to start in November. She would have been at least four months along at that time, which, with all the potential symptoms, can be a pretty rough period during an average pregnancy. And her pregnancy wasn't exactly an average one. Not only was it her third time around, but getting pregnant past the age of 35 carries a slightly higher risk of complications.
They explained her character's absence away easily enough in the sequel, and the film still managed to gross just under $335 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). It may have had something to do with famous illusionist David Copperfield taking a more hands-on role as producer for the sequel. The movie also benefited from the addition of the phenomenally talented Lizzy Caplan (known for her dramatic performances in "True Blood" and "Masters of Sex"), who filled Fisher's shoes as new character Lula.