Everything We Know About Channing Tatum's Return To Magic Mike
The world of stripping has shaped Channing Tatum's life in more ways than one. On a personal level, the scene put food on the his table. As he told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2011, he worked as a stripper when he was 18. "I did it for almost a year. I've lived a crazy life, for sure. It seemed like a fun thing to do at the time and I got out unscathed. It's nothing I'm ashamed of and I'm not proud of it either," he said.
Tatum later had the idea of making a movie based on his experience, which brings us to the impact the activity had on Tatum's professional life. According to Deadline, the actor didn't keep his idea in the realm of dreams but took concrete steps to make it happen. "When Channing talked to me about this, I thought it was one of the best ideas I'd ever heard for a movie. I said I wanted in immediately. It's sexy, funny and shocking ... hopefully we're on the right track," director Steven Soderbergh said.
They were. The 2012 film "Magic Mike" went on to gross nearly $168 million worldwide, 24 times its $7 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. The success of the film inspired the team to produce a sequel, "Magic Mike XXL," which came out in 2015. Now, six years after the second installment and nine years after the first, Tatum will be back in his rip-away pants one more time.
Channing Tatum confirmed Magic Mike's Last Dance
Channing Tatum is officially returning to our screens as the world's favorite male stripper in the third — and final — installment of "Magic Mike." Deadline reported the news early on November 29, and Tatum confirmed it later on social media. "Well world, looks like Mike Lane's tapping back in," Tatum wrote both on Instagram and Twitter, adding a photo of the front page of the script.
"Magic Mike's Last Dance" will see the return of Steven Soderbergh, who directed the first "Magic Mike" but not "Magic Mike XXL," which saw Gregory Jacobs in the director's chair. Jacobs will also be involved in the latest film as a producer, according to Deadline. Scriptwriter Reid Carolin will also return for Mike Lane's final dance. "Magic Mike's Last Dance" will premiere on HBO Max, per Deadline. "As soon as I saw what Channing, Reid, and the 'Magic Mike' choreographic team did with the live show, I said, 'We have to make another movie.' Mike Lane's dream of connecting people through dance must be realized," Soderbergh told Deadline, referring to Magic Mike Live.
Cast hasn't been announced, but Lenny Kravitz joked on Instagram in September that he could be interested in being in a sequel, according to Us Weekly. Tatum asked the father of his girlfriend, Zoe Kravitz, about his secret for ripped abs, and Kravitz responded he was "just trying to get in the next 'Magic Mike.' Any connections?" It sounds unlikely, but one can dream.