Production notes

Focus was written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Sleight-of-hand expert Apollo Robbins was hired as a consultant to choreograph the film's pickpocketing sequences. The directing duo, along with production designer Beth Mickle, conducted an initial location scouting trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. A subsequent trip with producers Denise Di Novi and Mark Scoon finalized filming locations in the neighborhoods of San Telmo, Puerto Madero, Barracas, Retiro, Recoleta, and Palermo, as well as Ezeiza International Airport and several hotels.

Will Smith and Margot Robbie were cast in the lead roles, with Smith portraying seasoned con artist Nicky and Robbie as his protégé Jess. Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, and Adrian Martinez were cast in supporting roles. Kristen Stewart was originally cast for the film, but left the project due to her concern with the age gap between her and Smith.

Principal photography began on September 14, 2013, in New Orleans. Production then moved to Buenos Aires on November 19, 2013, where it continued for three weeks before wrapping on December 10. The final leg of filming took place in New York City, concluding on December 17, 2013. The film was the first major Hollywood production edited entirely on Final Cut Pro X.

Focus grossed $53.9 million in North America and $114.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $168.1 million against a production budget of $50.1 million. In the United States and Canada, the film made $6.4 million on its opening day, $7.6 million on its second, and $4.6 million on its third, bringing its opening weekend total to $18.7 million from 3,323 theaters, with a per-theater average of $5,623. It debuted at number one at the box office. Internationally, the film was released in 39 markets during its opening weekend and grossed $12.2 million. Its top international markets included the United Kingdom ($13 million), Russia ($3.1 million), and the Netherlands ($1.8 million).

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Focus holds an approval rating of 55% based on 229 reviews, with an average rating of 5.80/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Focus may have a few too many twists and turns, but it nearly skates by on its glamorous setting and the charm of its stars." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 56 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times described the film as "sheer, escapist entertainment from start to finish." The Free Press Journal called the film "smart, slick, but shallow." Nick De Semlyen of Empire wrote, "This is maximum-gloss entertainment with its fair share of tricksy rug pulls. But, like one of the neon-coloured cocktails Smith drinks in it, it’s more of an immediate rush than something you’ll remember in a year."