Steven Soderbergh On Bringing the Naked Men of ‘Magic Mike 3’ to Theaters and Expanding the Stripper Franchise
variety.comMarc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWelcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”When the announcement came that “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” the third movie in Channing Tatum’s male stripper franchise, had the greenlight, it was revealed the film would premiere directly on HBO Max.
However, director Steven Soderbergh says a theatrical run is still on the table. “We’re talking about it,” Soderbergh told me recently while promoting the “Magic Mike Live” tour, which makes its North American debut in Miami in October. “It’s certainly hard to argue that this isn’t a movie that’s best seen in a theater, because we have the data.
People, primarily women, were going in packs, in large groups, to see the ‘Magic Mike’ movies.” Soderbergh returns as director after helming the first “M.M.” (the second was directed by Gregory Jacobs). “That’s the discussion with Warners right now — can we eventize this?
And if so, should we put it out theatrically?” Soderbergh explains.While details of the new film’s storyline are being kept under wraps, Soderbergh did tease that the movie is inspired by the “Magic Mike” stage show. “The movie is sort of a fictionalized procedural on how Mike comes up with the idea of a show — and then the obstacles, of which there are many, to trying to realize his vision of what this new thing could be.”He continued, “It’s a variation on ‘All That Jazz.’”The film hit a patch of controversy when Thandiwe Newton was replaced by Salma Hayek after shooting began. “I hadn’t seen Salma in 22 years after she did a little bit part in ‘Traffic,’” Soderbergh says. “She just brings so much to the table.
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