Channing Tatum is returning for Magic Mike 3 - but his last dance may be a few decades away.
The 21 Jump Street star announced the threequel late last year. 'Well world, looks like Mike Lane's strapping back in,' he wrote alongside a snap of the script, which also confirmed Steven Soderbergh's return as director.
Right now, it's still unclear whether Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer or Matthew McConaughey are reprising their roles (although the latter star is very keen to come back) – however, despite it looking like a fairly conclusive chapter in Mike's story, Tatum wants to see some geriatric stripping.
While promoting Dog, Tatum's directorial debut alongside longtime pal Reid Carolin, the pair spoke to IndieWire about the upcoming sequel.
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Carolin, who's penned the past two entries in the Magic Mike series as well as the third film, said, 'There’s no way we’d be doing a third movie just because it pays. There’s no way we’d do a third movie just because someone called us up and said they’d pay.
'We had this weird idea in our minds that makes it a completely different film from the first or second one, in terms of genre and everything else about it. We have total artistic say in it. We’re exploring territory that we always wanted to explore in a film. Magic Mike gives us the ability to do it. That’s what [is] fun about having the franchise you own.'
Tatum said, 'We put our money where our mouth was. I think Soderbergh knew at least we’d make our money back on the first one. We knew at least that we’d break even because we didn’t spend that much money on it. I don’t think any of us had any idea of what was going to happen.'
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Tatum previously said he was hanging up chaps, but Soderbergh and Carolin convinced him to come back. 'In my opinion, we had chewed up all the meat on the bone, story-wise. Pun intended, I guess. They’re essentially movies about guys made for women. We didn’t plan on making a second one,' he said.
However, his stance started to shift with the live show in Las Vegas, when Carolin started typing up a third script. 'Our whole idea was that we could change that, revolution that in terms of what that experience could be for women. We went out and actually made it with women. It was an education. What we made is today my favourite thing that we’ve made in our careers. If you ever have time in Vegas, please, go,' he continued.
While the interviewer joked about about it being 'an old man movie with everyone in makeup', Tatum said, 'The only one I said I’d actually do – before we decided on this version – was the 'Grumpy Old Men' version when we’re like 70. When we’re 70, I want to get the team back together, for sure.'
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'I actually think we should do a period Downton Abbey version that’s what it would’ve been like 300 years ago. I guess Magic Mike is sort of like a contemporary Downton Abbey,' Carolin added.
There's currently no release date for Magic Mike's Last Dance.
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Topics: Channing Tatum, Film and TV, Entertainment
Cameron Frew