Mike is not done working his magic by a long shot. With the web buzzing over a possible Magic Mike 2 , the hit film’s star Channing Tatum took to Twitter this week to address the rumors … and confirmed them! “Yes yes and yes! We’re working on the concept now. We want to flip the script and make it bigger,” he writes, possibly waiting for your obvious punchline. Because it’s ostensibly a male stripper movie, Magic Mike was something of a surprise hit with critics and fans alike, banking $39 million in one weekend. Tatum has received rave reviews, and there’s even been some Oscar talk – and not unwarranted – surrounding supporting actor Matthew McConaughey. Where would a sequel take the stripper and his cohorts? Have you seen the original, and would you be excited for a Magic Mike 2? Tell us below!
At first glance, Mira Sorvino’s character in Union Square , a claustrophobic but well-acted sibling chamber piece, bears a striking resemblance to Linda Ash, the tacky hooker with the heart of gold from Mighty Aphrodite . The latter role won Sorvino an Oscar in 1996, and though she has worked steadily since that time the actress has suffered from that vague but chronic condition of feeling under-seen. With its small cast and focus on performance, Union Square promises to be a welcome showcase for Sorvino, and the early rhymes with Miss Linda are intriguingly open-ended. Lucy (Sorvino) is a character, all right. After the opening 10 minutes, in which we watch the Bronx-dwelling, stack-heeled, short-skirted, generally disheveled blonde arrive in Union Square, fine-tune a text message, take a spin around Filene’s Basement, then have a colossal meltdown when the object of her visit – a shadowy lover – refuses to see her or take her next dozen calls, the idea of spending an entire movie with Lucy fills one with dread. If you saw her smeared face coming on the subway, you’d switch cars. Director Nancy Savoca (who co-wrote the script with Mary Tobler) leans heavily on Lucy’s repellent qualities right up front. She’s unstable, unseemly, un-self-aware, a guileless garbage-mouth; at the same time, she’s streetwise and an exposed nerve out in the world. As a fallback Lucy shows up at the door of an estranged friend who we soon learn is her sister. Jenny (Tammy Blanchard) is Lucy’s direct inverse: She runs a holistic product business with her fiancé Andy (Christopher Backus), and her sleek Manhattan apartment has pointed ground rules: No noise, no shoes, no dogs, and no smoking. No sooner is she introduced to share our Lucy-generated dismay than Jenny starts to seem like a piece of work herself. Savoca spends too much time inviting us to gawp at Lucy’s hot messiness, and the contrast between them is neat and condescending. Jenny and Andy (who looks, as Lucy observes, just like Superman) live meticulously, down to the ginseng and the running log, and Lucy’s arrival seems to paralyze her sister. They have passed three years without contact, and no trace of the Bronx can be detected in Jenny’s voice or bearing. This, it is later revealed, is quite deliberate. As far as the blithely incurious Andy is concerned, Jenny is a sweet girl from Maine with no family to speak of. Thus a dilemma is set up, and through its resolution we hope Lucy and Jenny will emerge as something more than counterpoint caricatures of hysteria and Stepford catatonia. Which is not to say the actresses aren’t involving: Sorvino in particular develops a depth and pathos to shore up her city-girl charisma. Lucy decides to protect her sister’s secret, for as long as it lasts, and keeps several of her own close at hand. One involves their wayward mother (played, in a brief vignette, by Patti Lupone), and once it is divulged Lucy and Jenny begin to emerge as human beings with a history. The script can’t bring their relationship into a more complex, convincing relief, but Union Square comes closer to that than you would first imagine. Its best moments find Sorvino and Blanchard out of the apartment, where the direction and the writing feel more stagebound. Wending through the Union Square market, losing each other in a light-pulsing nightclub, and falling apart at the pier, they feel most like what they are: Bewildered sisters living in two kinds of reaction to their roots. Follow Michelle Orange on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Did we mention it’s Comic-Con time around here? The geek pheromones are out of control, up to and including Wednesday night’s Breaking Dawn – Part 2 event that brought Twilight players Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser and Jackson Rathbone (among others) to San Diego — which is where Movieline pal Grace Randolph caught up with them to discuss everything from rookie vampires and the joys of… worldbuilding. Watch for yourself. Check out all of Movieline’s Comic-Con 2012 coverage here .
Magic Mike has already scored just under $78 million at the box office since its release in late June and the production budget was only $7 million. Minus the marketing budget, the stripper feature has likely already packaged a hefty sum. But never mind the money, there’s plenty of skin to be had, so why not let the strip show go on? Actors flexing their hot bods is a winning formula, and Tatum teased recently that another round of Magic Mike is in the early stages. In a Twitter interview with Glamour magazine, Tatum said this when asked about a possible Magic Mike 2 : “Yes, yes and yes! We’re working on the concept now. We want to flip the script and make it bigger.” Bigger? hmmm… Tatum didn’t provide much more in the way of details including whether director Steven Soderbergh has signed on for the follow-up or if co-stars Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello and the rest of the cast will be donning the thong for a second round. He did offer up some insight in the making of the first Mike , however, saying that wearing a thong in front of people is “awkward,” adding, “I don’t know how you girls do it.” He also said in the Twitter back-and-forth that Joe Manganiello’s body was the most impressive. “He looks like he’s from Spartan blood!” said Tatum, referring to the war-waging city from Greek antiquity. He also said Manganiello and McConaughey were “a toss up” in the top stripping talent category. Tatum also shared that during McConaughey’s dance, the build-up was so intense that some women in the audience took matters into their own hands. “The women lost their minds and ripped his thong off,” he said. DVD extra anyone? In non-related Tatum news, it was revealed yesterday that Tatum is in negotiations to star and produce a film about 1970s-era daredevil Evel Knievel. “I did a belly flop from a really high bridge,” Tatum offered up when asked about the biggest stunt he’s pulled off. “That was one of the more painful things I’ve done!” [Source: Glamour ]
It’s official: America likes talking stuffed animals more than naked men. Despite strong competition from Channing Tatum and the shirtless strippers of Magic Mike , Ted smoked and cursed his way to the top of the box office this weekend, earning $54.1 million on Friday and Saturday. It was the third-highest debut of all-time for an R-rated comedy, trailing only The Hangover II and Sex and the City . Ted Trailer Magic Men didn’t fare too poorly itself, though, pulling in a 73 percent female audience and garnering $39.2 million in two days. “This is what the business is about,” says Warner Brothers’ President of Domestic Distribution, Dan Fellman. “There are surprises sometimes, and when you get a sleeper, it’s great.” Here is a look at the weekend’s top five: Ted : $54.1 million Magic Mike : $39.2 million Brave : $34.0 million Madea’s Witness Protection : $26.4 million Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted : $11.8 million
“We’re trying to do our part to objectify men for the first time in movies.” Steven Soderbergh ’s male stripper pic Magic Mike shimmies into theaters today powered by a charismatic turn by Channing Tatum and a hard-bodied supporting cast — but the tale isn’t all thongs, pelvic thrusts, and bachelorette party thrills. (Well, okay — it’s got a lot of those things , too.) What secrets did Soderbergh, Tatum, and co-stars Alex Pettyfer , Joe Manganiello, and Matt Bomer spill about on-set nudity, overzealous extras, cross-dressing, and Tatum’s real life experience as a male stripper? The director and cast, along with newcomer Cody Horn, shared these and more stories recently in Los Angeles. Read on for their best anecdotes, advice, and revelations… 1. Magic Mike is based on observations from Tatum’s eight-month stint as a male stripper. How did he get into it — and why did he ever stop? “Look, I was eighteen years old and I worked three jobs,” Tatum began. “This was just one of them, and I really enjoyed performing. It was probably my first performing job ever.” So what ended the 19-year-old Tatum’s stripping career? “I really like to dance, obviously, but then I didn’t really love taking the clothes off at the end…” 2. Tatum on the “very dark world” of male stripping… Magic Mike depicts a backstage world filled with camaraderie, g-strings, and baby oil, but as Pettfyer’s Adam discovers, it’s also one filled with drugs, casual sex, and recklessness. Tatum remembers the real world of male stripping as an even darker place. “The world in itself was just a very dark world in a way. I don’t think we even scratch the surface of really how dark that place can get and how slippery of a slope it can actually be. This was probably the most palatable version of this movie. Otherwise, you wouldn’t want to see it twice, you’d just be like, ‘Okay, I feel dirty now.’ I think we blade-ran that topic.” 3. Tatum denies allegations that he stole Magic Mike ’s story from two ex-stripper acquaintances. Also: Everyone, including his Magic Mike co-stars, has seen Tatum’s old stripping videos. “Look, there’s nothing that’s factual in this whole movie other than I was an eighteen year old kid and went into this world and I dropped out of college and playing football and was living on my sister’s couch,” Tatum explained. “There’s not one character that I took from my real life. This is just a world that I went into and that I had a perspective on and we created everything from a fictional place.” Tatum has mixed feelings about his would-be accusers. “Those guys have been trying to make money off of me since I’ve gotten into this business,” he said. “Literally, London was one of the guys that sold the video that essentially, thank God, my friend here [Soderbergh] saw and liked it and then we made a movie of it. They’re just very interesting people. I don’t want to say anything bad about them because they’re part of the reason why I think this world is so interesting. “They’re very interesting, intriguing, bizarre characters and I’m thankful for the weird people out there because they’re some of the most creative people. I mean, watch his YouTube video. It is really, really entertaining. I mean, that’s how he starts every one, and you’re just like, ‘Oh, we’re back, baby. We’re back!’” Manganiello : ‘The world famous Jungle Boooooy!’ 4. Picture this: Full-length. Dance. Routines. ( Yes please. ) Soderbergh and his cast filmed a dozen full-length stripping routines for the film, although only snippets of each — including Bomer as a living Ken doll, Mangianello painted head-to-toe as a golden god — made it into the film. Those full, unbroken dance scenes would make quite the popular DVD bonus feature, but Soderbergh isn’t sure the entire audience would appreciate all the “gory parts.” “I think it’s not for men, these things,” said Soderbergh. “It made me really uncomfortable to watch them. To watch them all back to back was really disturbing. So, I don’t know.” 5. About that one time Channing Tatum dressed in drag as Marilyn Monroe… Tatum not only strips down to a thong, he dons a halter dress and wig in Magic Mike and serenades Pettyfer in a scene also inspired by real life. “Yeah, I did that to a buddy of mine on his birthday. He was eating at a restaurant and I walked in as Marilyn and basically sang him happy birthday and embarrassed the hell out of him. So, we just decided to put it in this movie for fun.” 6. Though they got a bit overzealous at times, the female extras on-set became the guys’ biggest supporters. McConaughey famously had his thong ripped right off during the filming of his big strip scene (which stayed in the final cut), but having female extras who were really, really into their work helped the cast do their jobs. “I think those were all happy accidents when those happened,” recalled Bomer. “It was a part of the world, and if they wanted to lick you in certain places or touch you, or whatever, it was welcome. It was just a part of the world we were creating.” 7. How to rock a thong: Fellas, take note. “As far as trusting wardrobe, it is one of the larger leaps of faith to trust a thong,” said McConaughey. “It weighs like what a dollar bill weighs. It weighs nothing, and you’re going, ‘At the end of this performance, this is the only protection that I have.’ So, the first time you put it on you’re going, ‘What is every possible angle I can be in?’ I’ve got to check to see if it’s really covered, everything is covered.” Still, added Tatum — who was known to pull double duty as producer between scenes standing around in just his red thong — “sometimes they completely betray you.” 8. Magic Mike , art house movie? “I think we all signed on to this one coming from the independent spirit. This was filmed as this little indie movie expose and I think we all signed on to work with who we got to work with, on the script that we got to work on, in the world that we got to work in,” recalled Manganiello. “The big shock to me was when all the studio executives were coming to filming every day. I went, ‘Wait a minute, this little tiny art house movie… wait, everyone is going to see what I just did to that girl ?’ “I think the fact that it’s snowballed into what’s snowballed into is exactly what you hope for. I mean, that’s it. You work on this project to make the artists happy and you wind up, hopefully, making the bill payer happy, too.” 9. Why men should be just as eager as ladies to see Magic Mike : “Men tend to define themselves by what they do, and so if you’re dealing with a character who’s trying to figure that out, or multiple characters, then there’s something there for guys, too,” explained Soderbergh. “When we tested the film the female scores were not significantly bigger than the male scores. I mean, guys liked it. The trick is, I think, getting them to come, but we’ll see what happens.” And if that doesn’t convince the guys out there, Manganiello has a more practical reason for buying a ticket on opening weekend: “I think if you’re a smart, single guy you’re going to go see this on a Friday or Saturday night… because guess who’s going to be in the theater?” “If you’re really smart you’ll wear a fireman’s outfit,” added Tatum. “And you just might go home with a few numbers, or even better, someone.” So fellas, don’t be scared! And just remember one last bit of advice, from Manganiello. “Don’t forget your axe.” — So just think… only a few years ago, Tatum was stripping for cash (and, apparently, botching the “YMCA” dance). Now he’s turned that skeleton in the closet into a major Hollywood picture that has legitimized him as a serious actor more than any of his previous films. As they say, there’s no shame in that game. Magic Mike is in theaters today. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Ladies!!! The sexiest film to come out this year hits theaters tomorrow! “Magic Mike” stars some of the HOTTEST men in Hollywood- Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, and Joe Mangianello (Fine A$$ Alcide from True Blood) A dramatic comedy set in the world of male strippers, “Magic Mike” is directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) and stars Channing Tatum in the title role. The film follows Mike as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money. Also starring Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Mangianello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough, Cody Horn and Adam Rodriguez. The Bossip team got a chance to check out one of the early premieres and trust us ladies, you won’t want to miss this film!!! Check out the “Magic Mike” trailer! GIVEAWAY DETAILS Follow us on Twitter @Bossip Look out for our tweets today and tomorrow for your chance to win 1 (Admit Two) – Magic Mike Hollywood Movie Money We will post trivia questions with the hashtag #MagicMike . The first person to respond to each question correctly mentioning @Bossip and including the hashtag win! 5 passes will be given away to 5 winners! Hollywood Movie Money is a free admission voucher to see a predetermined film (Magic Mike) redeemable nation-wide starting 6/29/12 through Thurs., 7/26/12 in any theater excluding AMC Theaters.
The star of Seth MacFarlane’s R-rated comedy Ted reportedly has an entire fetish community agog, only it’s not Mark Wahlberg, though plenty of folks are probably feeling his good vibrations. It’s the bear. Wahlberg stars in the comedy as a Boston slacker whose BFF, Ted — a stuffed animal come alive thanks to a childhood wish — is an irresponsible, wise-cracking stoner. (Not to mention a ladies’ man — or, bear. Whatever.) TMZ reports that the CG-created Ted has become a “sex symbol” for plushophiles , or plushies, who comprise a subcategory within the furry community: ” Ted creator Seth MacFarlane has already been contacted by a XXX website that’s popular with Plushies, Clips4Sale.com, in the hopes they can acquire the rights to use Ted’s image and make him the site’s new mascot. The site fired off a letter to Seth saying, ‘Not since Alf has there been this kind of excitement over a stuffed animal.'” So, uh, eat your heart out, Channing Tatum? [ TMZ ]
Hobnobbing takes a look back at the week’s happenings, from Jennifer Lawrence’s heroics to Johanna Mason contenders. By Amy Wilkinson Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate
