Magic Mike turned out to be one of the surprises of the year. Steven Soderbergh‘s male stripping comedy was a complete delight and one of the most, if not the most, entertaining cinema going experience I’ve had in a while.
The film was also a runaway success at the box office, making $154 million from a budget of $7 million. Naturally, money speaks and Magic Mike 2 is now in the pipeline.
In speaking with AlloCine, Channing Tatum, who played the film’s eponymous character, revealed a couple of details about the sequel. He said the film would very much be a broad comedy, taking the form of a road movie that sees the strippers reunite and hit the road, presumably getting up to some mischievous antics.
Considering that Mike left the stripping profession at the end of Magic Mike, the idea of friends reuniting makes much more sense than him going straight back into the stripping life.
Due to Soderbergh stepping away from filmmaking, his name is out of the running to helm the sequel and surprisingly, the film’s star could be in the running to step into his shoes. Channing Tatum said that he and screenwriter Reid Carolin could take over the film.
Gregory Jacobs, Soderbergh’s first AD, is the first choice to takeover but failing that, Tatum and Carolin will step in. They have a passion for the project and these characters, and while them taking over is a last resort, it does offer a fascinating prospect.
Considering he started out his career with incredibly lightweight fare, Tatum has had something of a transformative year. He’s proved he has fantastic comedic chops as well as being a convincing action star. Working with Soderbergh on three projects, starting with the severely underrated Haywire, has clearly changed the trajectory of his career and his ambitions have grown.
Stepping behind the camera for a safe project like this is a smart move for him, it gives him a chance of trying something new without trying to smash the test tubes. It’s a test of ability and could lead to bigger, better things.
Magic Mike 2 currently has no release date but you can catch Magic Mike on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 23rd.
Source: The Playlist