‘Magic Mike’ Sequel in the Works With Impressive Title

Rumors of a sequel to Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike have been bubbling for some time now, bringing fans of the original into a tizzy when star Channing Tatum posted to his Facebook page a photo of himself supposedly at work on the script under the gaze of a bust of Matthew McConaughey. Confirmation of the project has now come at long last, along with news of the sequel’s vivid title, as The Playlist reports that Magic Mike XXL is indeed in the works, and will begin shooting in the fall.

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Greg Jacobs, who has long served as Soderbergh’s first assistant director, will be helming Magic Mike XXL, with a screenplay co-written by Tatum and Reid Carolin. Soderbergh, who announced his retirement from directing feature films after the release of Side Effects, will stay on as executive producer. 

The original Magic Mike, which was loosely based on Tatum’s own pre-stardom career as a male stripper, raised Tatum’s profile considerably, heralded the opening of the McConaissance and breathed new life into Ginuwine’s 1996 hit “Pony.”