On February 10, one of the most intriguing premieres of 2023 will take place — 'Magic Mike: The Last Dance', because no one expected a continuation of this franchise. Especially considering that, after 10 years, the director will again be Steven Sode...

What is Known About the New 'Magic Mike'

On February 10, the premiere of a film that came as a surprise to many will take place. The third installment of 'Magic Mike', titled 'The Last Dance', is hitting the screens. Reviving franchises is no longer surprising in Hollywood, but what has become truly intriguing news is the return of Steven Soderbergh to the director's chair 10 years after the first film (the second part was directed by Gregory Jacobs). Thus, the third 'Magic Mike' will become the fifth joint film of Soderbergh and Channing Tatum.

According to the director, the new film, which tells the thorny path of strippers, was inspired by the real 'Magic Mike' show that actively tours the US and Europe. From previous installments, we remember that the main character Mike (Channing Tatum) tries to leave stripping and earn a living in other ways, such as carpentry. But dancing does not let him go. In the third film, the hero will attempt to stage his own show in London. On the way to his goal, he will face various difficulties, some of which will be resolved with the help of the heroine played by Salma Hayek.

'Magic Mike: The Last Dance' is a variation on the theme of All That Jazz, Soderbergh said.

The director is more confident than not that 'The Last Dance' will indeed be the final one. Nevertheless, he does not rule out that the 'Magic Mike' universe could be expanded with other stories similar in spirit and related to dance. It's just that Mike won't be there.

Channing Tatum himself describes the third part of 'Magic Mike' as the 'Super Bowl of stripping', hinting at even more impressive, vibrant, and complex dance numbers. The actor's words are indirectly confirmed by his partner Hayek, who admitted that filming turned out to be physically very challenging, for example, the lap dance. But clearly enjoyable.

I play a strong woman. What was my day at the office like there? I just sat and watched 12 half-naked men do various pirouettes. And I still have to command them, said Salma Hayek.

Support and mutual understanding help the actors cope with difficulties on set, both physical and emotional. This was the case in the duo of Tatum and Hayek, who said that chemistry and sympathy arose between them. This helped them more easily handle technically complex dance numbers with a very strong sexual subtext.

You can't fake chemistry. The camera decides which pairs work and which don't, believes Salma Hayek.

After such statements from the director and artists, it is definitely impossible to say that critics and viewers will go to see the new 'Magic Mike' without expectations. At the very least, we are all curious to see what new things Steven Soderbergh brings to the franchise. And at most, what hot dances the choreographers will delight us with this time. Because the bar has been set quite high.

In anticipation of 'The Last Dance', the editorial team of 'After the Credits' decided to find out what film bloggers and the A-One team expect from the film, especially since one of its members is a big fan of Soderbergh.

Expectations of Film Bloggers and A-One

Ksenia Balyuk, editor, film critic, author of the channel 'What Was That'

Most often, Channing Tatum's image is associated with the stripper 'Magic Mike'. And if another actor would be tired of the reproaches (the actor transferred his real experience of working in a strip club to the screen), Tatum is the initiator of the continuation of the story and makes fun of himself in other projects — take at least his recent cameo in 'Bullet Train'.

The previous two parts of the franchise grossed about $300 million — I think the finale of the franchise will also become a box office hit, because the director of the original film, Steven Soderbergh, who promised 'something like the Super Bowl of stripping', took on the third installment. And Tatum added that 'after this part, you can stop making films about stripping altogether'. Well, surprise us one last time, Magic Mike!

Exarch-compiler of the channel 'Bresson's Hands'

The news that 'Magic Mike' is returning with an updated program, and even again under the supervision of the original film's choreographer Soderbergh, did not strike the information field like lightning. After all, with the current agenda, something more solid than absploitation is needed for hype, even with the chemistry of Tatum and Hayek's bodies in the lead roles. I wouldn't expect any revelation from the third installment.

What was the first 'Magic Mike'?

A masterful drama mixed with everyday life, into which the viewer rolled along with a pretty young man eager for money, attention, and fame, and emerged by the finale hand in hand with a tired, exhausted stripper in a crisis of self-determination, eager to throw off the shackles of his old life.

The third part, judging by the trailer, threatens to put an end to Tatum's transition from club (and touring) stripping through carpentry business to a full-fledged choreography production in his own show. The analogy with his real career suggests itself — the damn G.I. Joe in the late nineties worked part-time in a strip club, rose to prominence as an artist, managed to cream off the best of action films and auteur cinema, faded a bit, and in '22 debuted as a director of his own project. After all, Soderbergh has an excellent sense of the pulse of reality. But whether his cinematic powder is wet, we'll find out in February.

Daria Zhevlakova, film blogger and author of the TG channel kinoman_diary

Completely unexpectedly for myself, I learned that the third part of the 'Magic Mike' franchise is preparing for worldwide release. And judging by the film's subtitle 'The Last Dance', this part will most likely finalize the story of the dancer with big ambitions and dreams, Mike (Channing Tatum). Steven Soderbergh has returned to the director's chair, and Tatum's on-screen partner is the beautiful Salma Hayek. Apparently, this time the filmmakers decided that Mike needs a more experienced and wise mentor to finally realize his cherished dreams and find his place in life.

When the first part of this trilogy was released in the summer of 2012, the magic of Channing Tatum and his popularity on the wave of another dance franchise 'Step Up' acted on me like sour cream on a cat. I eagerly awaited going to the cinema for the earliest morning show on the first day of the film's release. That screening was memorable not only for the inexhaustible energy flowing in dance rhythm from the screen, but also because in the hall, besides me, there were two women with three children. I don't know why the mothers brought their kids to 'Magic Mike', but I really hope that at least one of the kids grew up to be a professional dancer. Otherwise, what was it all for.

From 'The Last Dance', I expect, of course, a worthy conclusion to the story, drive, great Tatum, and hot dances with Salma!

Anastasia, former editor of Interview, GQ, author of the channel Lazy Editor

Honestly, the editorial question caught me off guard, however, the timeless tune by Ginuwine — 'Pony' immediately started playing in my head. I expect, of course, a phenomenal half-hour performance in the finale, which the creators tease, but there are other reasons besides quality male stripping.

Firstly, (hurray!) Steven Soderbergh returns to the director's chair, secondly — does anyone know whose blood Salma Hayek drinks? I don't believe the number in her passport.

In the continuation of the great saga, the main culprit of the celebration, actually Mike in the person of Channing Tatum, together with Hayek's character, puts on a show in London, and this is a direct reference to reality. The Magic Mike franchise is flourishing: live performances in Las Vegas, Berlin, and again London, a reality show on HBO Max — it seems there are enough hot dances. Or not?

Soderbergh felt that he had room to expand in terms of story and visual experiments. After all, the first 'Magic Mike' was indeed inventively shot and spoke about the proverbial American dream with sad irony, while the second film by Gregory Jacobs turned out to be just a simple road movie. Though with a bunch of memorable numbers.

I believe that the director of the original will not disappoint, I will watch even if the film's rating on Metacritic does not turn green.

Seva, team of film distribution company A-One

I consider Steven Soderbergh one of the most, in a good way, flexible directors of our time. He is not afraid to make different films, working with directly opposite genres in adjacent films. Steven is always unpredictable, but always professional, and that's how he won the hearts of cinephiles.

I remember that in 2012, the promo campaign of the first 'Magic Mike' presented the film as a romantic comedy with a pinch of rowdy stripping, but in reality, everything turned out to be less prosaic. Yes, the first 'Magic Mike' is not devoid of romance and spectacular dances, largely thanks to which Channing Tatum earned worldwide popularity, but in reality, it turned out to be a heartfelt and touching story about vices, self-discovery, and dreams. Plus, I believe that it is this film that Channing Tatum owes to being perceived more seriously as a creative unit.

The sequel lost Soderbergh in the director's chair (he remained as producer and cinematographer). The second film became deliberately simpler, more focused on dance numbers and humor. It was all fun and lively, but entertainment, frankly, for one time. The third installment, however, arouses much more interest than its sequel — and yes, because of the returning director Soderbergh. And I sincerely hope and believe that Soderbergh will find a balance between the dramaturgy of the first film and the 'stripping' farce of the second. And if we judge by the trailers, we can already promise ourselves an extremely amusing and extremely sexy spectacle. Glory to Soderbergh.

The company A-One continues to work wonders and bring foreign films to Russia. Currently, the heartfelt sci-fi 'After Yang' with Colin Farrell is showing in cinemas, which made it into the top 10 best films of 2022 according to the editorial board of 'After the Credits'. And soon the guys will release a new film by Louis Garrel — the comedy L'innocent, a participant of the Cannes Film Festival 2022!

What the Editor-in-Chief of 'After the Credits' Expects

I couldn't resist and shared my expectations for the new 'Magic Mike' as well, Roman, the editor-in-chief of the film portal.

What do I expect from the new 'Magic Mike'? Of course, dances! Right after the announcement of a 30-minute dance scene at the end of the film, I became curious how Steven Soderbergh, whose inventiveness in terms of camera work is enviable, would handle it. Especially since after the decline of the 'Step Up' series, we have hardly seen any decent projects where dances occupy an important place.

The very return of the director is a good sign. Without him, the sequel was quite sad and unmemorable, except for a couple of dance études. Now there is every chance for a major conclusion to the extraordinary trilogy about men dancing in thongs.

And now we have only a few days left before we find out which of our expectations will be justified in bright dance numbers and scenes with an increased degree of sexuality.