Every time a new Magic Mike movie comes out, we’re told it’s the last time. And it seems like Channing Tatum really believed that too, up until recently, as he reveals in a new interview how Steven Soderberg twisted his arm to get him to don those speedos and oil that torso one last time.
Speaking to IndieWire, the romance movie actor says he initially had reservations about a second Magic Mike: film, let alone a third one: “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.
“Then all of our ancillary characters were so good and fun that we felt like, ‘Let’s do another movie and give those characters more real estate that we didn’t have before,” he added. “Once we did that, we felt like there was no other story. Let’s just like get out of jail. I actually like the second movie more than the first one. It’s more fun and I think more of what people expected the first film to be. I obviously love that one, too.”
Following the release of the two Magic Mike films, which came in 2012 and 2015 respectively, the comedy movie franchise extended to a live tour: and it was then the idea for a third Magic Mike movie came to fruition.
“What we learned in the live show was really interesting,” Tatum said. “I didn’t want to make a live show because I was like, ‘I know this world, it’s kind of dark and weird.’ 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. ”
Well world, looks like Mike Lane’s tapping back in. @hbomax pic.twitter.com/V9Ce62n710
— Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) November 29, 2021
He continued, “At the opening of the show in Berlin, Reid and Soderbergh were talking and they said, ‘There’s another movie here. We should look at it.’ Reid got on the old keys and started typing. “
It’s a good thing Magic Mike is known for its plot. If you can’t wait until the third film’s release to see Tatum again, you can watch him in drama movie Dog in cinemas now.