Dominic Sessa’s star has been on the rise since his breakout role in “The Holdovers.” The South Jersey native is poised to continue that ascension by signing on to join a major Hollywood franchise.
Sessa, who was born in Cherry Hill and grew up in Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City, will take on an unnamed role in “Now You See Me 3,” the third installment in Lionsgate’s magician-heist saga, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
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Little is known yet about the plot of “Now You See Me 3,” but the first two films — which premiered in 2013 and 2016 — followed a group of infamous, thieving illusionists known as the “Four Horsemen.”
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Morgan Freeman are reportedly reprising their roles in the franchise. The third film will also introduce a new generation of magicians, including Sessa, Justice Smith (“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”) and Ariana Greenblatt (“Barbie”).
Sessa, 21, was a senior at the Massachusetts boarding school Deerfield Academy when he earned his first movie role as troubled teen Angus Tully in “The Holdovers,” which was using his school as a filming location.
“The Holdovers,” which follows a group of workers and students at an all-boys prep school who become unlikely companions when they are forced to stay on the New England campus over Christmas break in 1970, was nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. Philly native actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph scored her first Academy Award, for best supporting actress, for her performance as grief-stricken prep school cook Mary Lamb.
For his part in the acclaimed film, Sessa earned rave reviews and received the Critics’ Choice Award for best young actor, a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actor and an Independent Spirit Award for breakthrough performance. He’s also generated buzz online for his vintage-inspired fashion sense and throwback hairstyle, qualities which some fans say make him a perfect candidate to join the world of “Now You See Me.”
Since the success of “The Holdovers,” Sessa has joined the cast of the drama “Tow,” alongside Rose Byrne and Demi Lovato. “Tow” will depict the true story of Amanda Ogle, an unhoused Seattle woman who entered a legal battle with a towing company that impounded her car after it was stolen.
The Hollywood Reporter reported earlier this month that Sessa is also giving the holiday film genre a swing, having signed on for the comedy “Oh. What. Fun.” The movie, which also stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Chloë Grace Moretz, will center on a mother who organizes a special Christmas outing but is forgotten by her family amid the excitement and goes missing.