The actor Channing Tatum has announced his intention to bring Magic Mike, the film franchise in which he stars as a male stripper, to Las Vegas, with plans to launch Magic Mike Live.
The actor, whose own former career as a male exotic dancer inspired Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh to collaborate on the film series, will bring the live stage show the Vegas in March of next year. In a video filled with pecs and puppies, the actor outlined his hopes for the show to his Facebook followers.
“We want to create a place for women that is their gentlemen’s club, their Playboy club,” he said. “It shouldn’t be sleazy. [You shouldn’t feel] nervous to go there because you feel unsafe; we want to create the polar opposite of that.”
Tatum, who helped to choreograph a number of dances from the two films in the series, will direct the live version, but has said that – for the time being – he has no intention of stripping off for the Vegas audience.
“If I’m ever in shape enough to do that again, I’ll absolutely go out and have a fun night or two,” he said.
Magic Mike Live has now launched its official website, where the show is crowdsourcing data from the women expected to form the audience, asking them to say what exactly they would like to see next March.
Magic Mike was critical and commercial success upon its release, helping to reshape Tatum’s career as a leading man and serious actor. Together with its sequel Magic Mike XXL, the franchise took nearly $300m at the global box office, though there are currently no plans for a third instalment.
