Summit Entertainment has bought Boaz Yakin (“Fresh”, “Remember the Titans”) and Edward Ricourt’s spec “Now You See Me,” to be produced by Paper Products, the company set up by power duo Alex Kurtzmann and Roberto Orci (writers of “Transformers 1 & 2” — boo! But also “Star Trek” — yay!). How’s this for high concept: an elite FBI squad engages in cat-and-mouse shenanigans with a team of the “world’s greatest illusionists” who enact bank heists during their act and then shower their audiences with the stolen money.
This is ironic in being the exact reverse of Summit’s experience with hormonal vampire series “Twilight” where the money moves in the opposite direction, but is just as ill-gotten. Yakin’s last produced script was “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” and he is next set to direct the Jason Statham-starrer “Safe,” while partner Ricourt is a Marvel Studios Writing Program graduate and reportedly sold alien flick “Year 12” to super producer Joe Roth last year.