The Illusionist is a film.
The Illusionist is a 2006 American romantic mystery film written and directed by Neil Burger and starring Edward Norton , Paul Giamatti , and Jessica Biel . The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival ; it was distributed in limited release to theaters on August 18 , 2006 , and expanded nationwide on September 1 . The film was a commercial and critical success .