When fans learned that Magic Mike 3 had been greenlit, it already felt like a dream come true. Now that the film is in production, there are even more reasons to be excited about the long-awaited threequel. Even though there aren’t too many details about what we can expect to see, Channing Tatum has offered up one killer hint – that it’s going to be the “Super Bowl” of stripper movies.
It’s been nearly seven years since Magic Mike XXL hit theaters – and for most of that time, many assumed that was the last time they’d see Mike Lane in all his glory. But then late last year, Channing Tatum announced that Magic Mike 3 was in the works, this time as an HBO Max film. His recent comments on Jimmy Kimmel Live! helps make it clear why the movie is happening:
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make a third movie. I was like, ‘We kind of did a lot in the first two movies. … I was like, ‘Look, I’ll make a third movie if we can do one of two things.’ One, I wanted to make the Super Bowl of stripper movies. The first movies, we had to sort of stay honest to what that world is, and the dancing’s not all that cool in the world, and we pushed it a little bit. But I really want to have like professionals, just like the best dancers in the world going off in this one.
It wasn’t that long ago that Channing Tatum shot down the idea of a threequel. He said he wanted the HBO Max series Finding Magic Mike to be the next step in the series’ narrative journey. So the fact that he’s switched gears must mean they have something extra special up their sleeves. Likening it to the biggest sporting event in America definitely doesn’t help with managing expectations.
If you watched the first two films for the irreverent comedy and often awkward dance sequences, this might be a little bit of a disappointment. Just kidding – it’s hard not to be pumped about the idea of the next film in the series taking everything up a notch. And it sounds like in addition to the intense choreography, they’ve got plans for another narrative twist:
And secondly, I wanted to have like a really strong female, central character. … She might dance a little bit.
Who exactly will this strong female character be? There hasn’t been much casting news for Magic Mike 3 so far, aside from knowing ahead of time that Joe Manganiello is probably out, and Channing Tatum being unable to confirm whether Matthew McConaughey will reprise his role. Sandra Bullock did joke (or “joke”?) that Channing Tatum wanted to get her on board for the latest installment. I mean, having the Oscar-winner showing up in would definitely fit the qualifications of a Super Bowl-esque movie moment.
Since Magic Mike 3 is currently in production, we’ll hopefully get some news about what – and who – else to expect to see. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to make sure you have an HBO Max subscription ahead of the release.