All good things begin with our first look at the upcoming Magic Mike sequel, Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Released by Channing Tatum via social media, the first look image finds Tatum’s male stripper showing off his abs once again, though this time in what appears to be a much more intimate setting than usual. Check out the first image from Magic Mike’s Last Dance below.
“All good things begin in Miami,” Tatum says in a caption alongside the image, which also offers our first look at Salma Hayek’s character. “#MagicMikesLastDance in theaters Valentine’s Day weekend. And #MagicMikeLive’s @mmltour is open now!”
Released in 2012 and directed by Steven Soderbergh, the first Magic Mike centers on Channing Tatum as the titular Michael "Magic Mike" Lane, who makes his living performing as a stripper for the Xquisite group. Magic Mike is loosely based on the experiences of Tatum, with the first outing following Mike as he takes a 19-year-old budding stripper named Adam under his wing.
The first Magic Mike proved to be a big financial hit, with Tatum and his troops’ dance moves leading to a box office gross of over $167 million. Magic Mike was met with positive reviews from critics and spawned a sequel, Magic Mike XXL, in 2015. This time directed by Gregory Jacobs, and once again starring Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash and Joe Manganiello, the sequel was not quite as well received as its predecessor but was once again a box office success.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance is All About the Dancing, According to Channing Tatum
At present, very little is known about the direction of Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Though the title does seem to suggest that it will bring Mike’s stripping career to a conclusive end. Officially announced in November last year, Magic Mike’s Last Dance will see Steven Soderbergh return to the helm, with the filmmaker teasing further installments in the Magic Mike Universe (MMU?) with characters around Mike Lane launching off into their own stories and projects.
One thing we do know, and this should not come as much of a surprise, is that Magic Mike’s Last Dance will feature a lot of dancing. Of course, the Magic Mike franchise has become well-renowned for its dancing sequence, but star Channing Tatum has hinted at just how much dancing will be involved in Magic Mike's swansong, with the actor describing this crucial element as being “a full dance-icle.”
“This one’s going to be a full dance-icle. We’re going to swing for the fence,” the actor teased. “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. “
Written by Reid Carolin and starring Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Caitlin Gerard, Gavin Spokes, and Christopher Bencomo, Magic Mike’s Last Dance was originally intended for a streaming release on HBO Max. But, back in September 2022, it was announced that the Magic Mike sequel would instead be released theatrically on February 10, 2023.