It's showtime for Steven Soderbergh's latest Magic Mike installment, Magic Mike's Last Dance, with an official release date for the film now on the cards. Fans can expect to see Channing Tatum work center stage as Mike Lane in theaters on February 10 2023. The franchise, which is vaguely based on Tatum's brief stint as a stripper in Florida, was previously expected to exclusively debut on HBO Max. However, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief David Zaslav has made his intentions to give movies their rightful space on the silver screen clear and Magic Mike's Last Dance is no exception.

The announcement comes after it was revealed that Thandiwe Newton would be stepping away from the production to "deal with family matters." Salma Hayek is now set to take her place as Tatum's love interest in the film. Tatum previously teased that the character gets stuck at an awful strip show leading her down a rabbit of whole of discovery. The actor also hinted that the film would not feature a "traditional love story."

Whilst details of the film's upcoming plot have largely been kept under wraps, director Soderbergh previously hinted at a strong character development arc for Mike. "The third [movie] is the sort of apex of everything that we've been talking about in that area," he told Collider. "Not just taking the dancing to another level, but really getting into the relationship aspect that's been an undercurrent in all of the films. Like Mike has a full-on relationship that's at the center of this movie, while all this stuff is going on, and we haven't done that before."

Channing Tatum as Mike Lane, Matt Bomer as Ken, and Joe Manganiello as Richie in Magic Mike XXL
Image via Warner Bros.

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The project marks Soderbergh's return to the franchise, having not been a part of the movie's 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL. Reid Carolin, who wrote the screenplays for both Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL is also making a return to the venture. Magic Mike's Last Dance has big shoes to fill given its predecessors global success and critical approval. Magic Mike made a staggering $167 million at the box office and its sequel brought in a humble $118 million.

The franchise has earned widespread approval and even resulted in the creation of Magic Mike Live, a series of widely-adored stage shows, which have wowed audiences in Las Vegas, London, Australia and Berlin.

Magic Mike's Last Dance will hit theaters on February 10, 2023. A date for its HBO Max release is yet to be announced. Check out the trailer for Magic Mike XXL below: