Channing Tatum And Steven Soderbergh Return For Magic Mike's Last Dance

Great news — Channing Tatum hasn't hung up his rip-away track pants just yet. The actor, who starred as "Magic" Mike Lane in "Magic Mike" and "Magic Mike XXL," is going to reprise the role one more time for "Magic Mike's Last Dance." Better yet, franchise creator Steven Soderbergh is returning to the director's chair. (He shot and edited the sequel "Magic Mike XXL," but it was helmed by Gregory Jacobs.) That's right, folks, we're getting a "Magic Mike" trilogy.

According to Deadline, Soderbergh and Tatum will also be joined by franchise writer Reid Carolin, making this a truly magic affair. The sequel will premiere exclusively on HBO Max, which is a tiny bit of a shame because the first two movies were a blast to see with a crowded theater full of pent-up housewives. The first two films grossed nearly $300 million worldwide, and in 2017 spawned a stage show called "Magic Mike Live." There's also the upcoming HBO Max reality series, "Finding Magic Mike," debuting on December 16, 2021, so Warner Bros. is crafting a "Magic Mike" franchise explosion.

Tatum confirmed that the magic is back with a photo of the script on his Twitter account: 

Well world, looks like Mike Lane’s tapping back in. @hbomax pic.twitter.com/V9Ce62n710

— Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) November 29, 2021

Tatum also shared his excitement with Deadline: 

"There are no words for how excited I am to blow the doors off of the world of 'Magic Mike' with Steven, Greg, Reid, and the amazing people at HBO Max. The stripperverse will never be the same."

There's no word yet on whether or not the rest of the "Magic Mike" guys are returning to the "stripperverse," but here's hoping that Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, and Donald Glover all reprise their roles from "Magic Mike XXL." Maybe they'll even get Matthew McConaughey back as their old emcee, Dallas. He was missing from "XXL," but was a ridiculously fun part of the first "Magic Mike" installment. 

For the uninitiated: 2012's "Magic Mike" followed Mike as he introduced a newcomer to the business of professional male stripping, while simultaneously realizing he needed to get out. The first film is as thought-provoking as it is titillating, a drama about the dangers of hard-partying lifestyles and careers that encourage them. The second film, 2015's "Magic Mike XXL," is a heartfelt and hilarious road trip movie that follows Mike and his group of guys as they travel to Myrtle Beach for one last dance at an exotic dancer convention. Where the first film is a meditation on masculinity and hard partying, the second is an ode to female desire and is a really fun ride. Here's hoping that "Magic Mike's Last Dance" can tie those two tones together, bringing fans the bisexual trilogy ending to rule them all.