Magic Mike: Who's the Joke Really On?

I interviewed Gina Gershon a handful of years ago and brought up the topic of Showgirls. Before I even asked my question, she knew what was happening and jokingly asked, “Don’t do it. Just don’t.” The actress said that even a decade after the infamous film was released; every interview ends up coming back to it. Is Hollywood about to release its second cult favorite stripper movie?

The idea sounded like an off the cuff comment that would never go anywhere. Channing Tatum turning his time as a stripper into a film titled Magic Mike. Tatum isn’t exactly the shyest, most buttoned up actor. He is who he is and doesn’t have a problem letting fans know where his roots lay. But things got really interested when the up and coming actor got some pedigree behind him. Steven Soderbergh signed on to direct and a who’s who’s of male hotties agreed to strip down. An all-star male lineup that includes Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Alex Pettyfer, and Adam Rodriguez will be dropping trou and shaking what their mama’s gave them.

So, regardless what anyone might think this movie is happening. Not only is it happening, but it is being released at the high of the summer movie season. Warner Bros. announced in the last week that Magic Mike will be unspooled to theaters on June 29th. This shows that Warner Bros. also has confidence that this could be a huge hit. Maybe, they are looking to get bachelorette parties coming to theaters instead of actual strip clubs during the summer wedding season. This could also be one of the biggest unintentionally gay films ever made!

Filming is now done and by January there will probably be a trailer available. But it’s still hard to take this seriously as happening. I’m waiting for Soderbergh to admit in an interview that we’re all being punk’d. His track record shows that this probably won’t be the case. This is the director who has gone against normal convention with films like Bubble and The Girlfriend Experiment.

Magic Mike has tons of buzz and hype, but will that translate into box office? Movies like Snakes on a Plane have shown that buzz can be deceptive, especially since a lot of Magic Mike's buzz has been about how much of the guys', um, talent will be on display. Ultimately, it will depend on the tone of the film. Have Tatum and Soderbergh gone the dramatic route or is it going to be a comedy, as listed on IMDB? Depending on what sound bite you listen, it could go either way.

You know what would really make the film shine? A sex scene set in a pool. Perhaps even a winking cameo by Gina Gershon warning the guys that stripping will follow them for the rest of their lives -- at least for the next decade or so, anyway.