Channing Tatumhas some big ideas for what islikelyhis final bow as Magic Mike.
The actor, speaking to PEOPLE in this week’s issue about his directorial debutDog, also provided a great tease forMagic Mike’s Last Dance, the third film in the franchise.
“I want it to be the Super Bowl of stripping,” says Tatum, 41. “I want dancing like we’ve never been able to do in the other two movies, because we had to be honest to what the reality of that world is, which isn’t great dancing.”
The actor says that his final dance sequence withStephen ‘tWitch’ BossinMagic Mike XXLis a small indication of the caliber of dancing they’re going for in the third movie — which is not the type of dancing male strippers are known for.
“There was never anything in the real world that I actually stripped in that was even nearly as good as that [last dance],” he explains of his time as a male stripper, aka the inspiration forMagic Mikeitself. “We’re already breaking the rules of that, the reality of that world. I want to have professional dancers [from all over], Russian ballet dancers, I want to go for it and create a completely new genre of this form.”
Magic Mike XXL(2015).Warner Bros. Pictures / Everett
In addition to featuring professional dancers, Tatum says it was important forMagicMike’s Last Danceto have a well-written, lead female character.
“I want to have an equal, if not even more centralized female character for Mike to really play off of and almost to,” he explains. “I don’t want to say, [to have her] take the baton, but really let the movie be about a female’s experience and not Mike’s experience, because it has been so much about Mike and the guys' experiences. These movies are very, very female-forward. At least that is our intention.”
“The live show is the reason for the third one,” he says. “I wanted the live show to be the third movie. It has real meaning, without trying to force feed you any kind of message or anything. [Magic Mikedirector] Steven Soderbergh went to see it in London, then came to the opening of our live show in Berlin. He was talking to [producing partner Reid Carolin] and me after, ‘We should make a third movie and base it off of the themes and what the live show does.’ I think every single movie is us leading to this movie.”
Tatum is currently prepping to film the sequel in London soon, and has been rehearsing with longtime friend and choreographer Alison Faulk.
“We’re going to go off,” he promises. “I’m so sore right now because I [have been] in Alison’s garage with aDexter-type situation that you guys will all know about eventually, when the movie’s out. You’ll know why it looked likeDexterin her garage.”
Faulk, who choreographed the first two films and starred as a mentor/choreographer onFinding Magic Mike, also promised a goodLast Dance.
“I can’t say much other than that the script is really good,” she said. “And we’re so excited and pumped. It’s such a gift to be involved with this franchise at all. And then second of all, to be doing another film, we never thought that was going to happen. So we’re super pumped and excited and can’t wait.”
Tatum’s new movie and directorial debutDogopens in theaters Feb. 18.
source: people.com
