A 2006 psychological thriller led by Edward Norton will soon leave Netflix’s library. Based on a short story, it follows a gifted magician who uses his performances to seek justice after a tragedy changes his life.
The Illusionist leaves Netflix in June
The Illusionist will not be a part of Netflix’s library from Wednesday, June 17, 2026 (via What’s on Netflix).
The film is loosely based on Steven Millhauser’s short story, titled “Eisenheim the Illusionist.” It was originally published in Esquire’s December 1989 issue. Neil Burger wrote the screenplay and directed the adaptation.
The story takes place in 1889 Vienna. It centers on Eisenheim, a gifted illusionist, who reunites with his childhood love, Duchess Sophie von Teschen, fifteen years after they were forced to separate. Their renewed romance begins to threaten Sophie’s engagement to the Crown Prince Leopold, a powerful and abusive royal. When a tragedy hits the couple, Eisenheim uses his extraordinary skills to bring down the prince.
The film stars Edward Norton as Eisenheim, Paul Giamatti as Inspector Walter Uhl, Jessica Biel as Duchess Sophie, Rufus Sewell as Crown Prince Leopold, and Eddie Marsan as Josef Fischer, among others.
The Illusionist premiered in theaters on August 18, 2006. Both critics and general moviegoers were highly impressed by the film, resulting in high scores on review aggregator sites. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a Tomatometer score of 74% and a Popcornmeter of 83%. Meanwhile, on IMDb, it has earned a rating of 7.5/10 from over 400K users. The following year, it earned an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography.
In addition to critical acclaim, the film also experienced commercial success. Made on a reported $16.5 million budget, it went on to make $87.8 million at the global box office.
Netflix subscribers have a limited time to stream Edward Norton’s The Illusionist on the platform.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on ComingSoon.
