Channing Tatum Teases Magic Mike 3 Saying He's A Maniac On The Floor And He's Dancing Like He's Never Danced Before

Channing Tatum is back in a big way this year, and I, for one, couldn't be happier about it. He's starring in the dramedy "Dog" (which he also co-directed) later this month and will return not long after with "The Lost City," an action-comedy that pairs him with Sandra Bullock. Perhaps most exciting of all, Tatum is hard at work preparing for "Magic Mike's Last Dance," the third and final entry in the "Magic Mike" film series. "Magic Mike" helmer Steven Soderbergh will also call the shots on "Last Dance" after "only" serving as the director of photography and editor on the second "Magic Mike" movie, "Magic Mike XXL."

The first "Magic Mike," released in 2012, starred Tatum as Mike Lane, a seasoned 30-something stripper who takes a protege — Adam, AKA "The Kid" — under his wing, only to learn some hard lessons himself when he tries to launch his own furniture business and pursue a serious relationship with Adam's sister Brooke. However, while it's a fine movie that examines the dark side of Mike's party-happy existence and the harsh realities of life in the wake of the 2007-08 Financial Crisis, the first "Magic Mike" has got nothing on the masterpiece that is 2015's "Magic Mike XXL." The sequel follows Mike and his fellow strippers (sans The Kid and their former boss Dallas) as they head out on a road trip to the Myrtle Beach stripping convention in the hopes of healing their old emotional wounds and ending their careers on a high note.

It's hard to imagine "Magic Mike's Last Dance" topping "Magic Mike XXL" — a sequel that /Film's Danielle Ryan aptly described as "a sex-positive, body-positive, bisexual dream that crushes toxic masculinity while featuring some seriously talented and ridiculously attractive men having a blast" — but dang it if Tatum isn't determined to try. He hyped the film in an interview with Variety, stating:

"This one's going to be a full dance-icle. We're going to swing for the fence. I'm going to dance as hard as I've danced in any movie other than 'Hail, Caesar!' I want this movie to be filled with joy and fun. Everybody is like, 'Less character, more dancing.' So I've listened."

For those not familiar: "Hail, Caesar!" was a 2016 Coen Brothers period comedy in which Tatum played Burt Gurney, a Gene Kelly-style actor and dancer who performs a fabulous musical number (for which Tatum learned how to tap dance) titled "No Dames!" as part of a film-within-the-film that centers on a group of male sailors as they bemoan the fact that they're off on another mission with nary a woman around. It's easily my favorite part of the whole movie, and I'm all for Tatum not only trying to outdo himself on the dance floor but also recognizing that "Magic Mike's Last Dance" should be more like "Magic Mike XXL," not less.

"Magic Mike's Last Dance" will premiere as an HBO Max exclusive, much like Soderbergh's last two films as a director ("Let Them All Talk" and "No Sudden Move") and his upcoming thriller "KIMI," which debuts on February 10, 2022.