Apple’s Project Artemis film now casts Channing Tatum to co-star with Scarlett Johansson. Another change to the production sees Greg Berlanti as director instead of Jason Bateman, who left the production due to creative differences. Tatum replaces Chris Evans, as Evans’ involvement with the project conflicted with his upcoming films Pain Hustlers and Big Red One. No plot details for Project Artemis have been revealed at this time other than it involves the space race in the 1960s.
Despite a lot of details about the production being kept quiet, judging from the cast and filmmakers alone, it’s already looking quite promising. Director Berlanti has found success as a producer in television, having been involved with Riverdale, The Flash, The Flight Attendant, and more. He has also currently producing the Amazon film, My Policeman, starring Harry Styles and Emma Corwin. However, Berlanti has not directed a film since 2018’s Love, Simon.
Tatum's early life provided the inspiration for his film Magic Mike, but his big break in acting came as the love interest of Amanda Bynes in the 2006 comedy She’s The Man. He went on to star in Step Up with his ex-wife Jenna Dewan. The film received mostly negative reviews and was panned by critics. Tatum has played an eclectic set of roles, from a soldier in Dear John to a 1930s gangster in Public Enemies, and has shown his acting chops across several genres.
These Pictures Co-Founder, Jonathan Lia, welcomed Berlanti and Tatum to the project, stating:
We are thrilled to welcome Greg Berlanti and Channing Tatum to Project Artemis. Greg’s passion for character and storytelling has driven his decades long career in film & TV. We couldn’t be more excited for him to lead our team on this journey. We have been huge fans of Channing’s for a long time and are so honored to finally have the opportunity to work with him.
Project Artemis serves as a major project for Apple, with the company paying millions of dollars to acquire it. Rose Gilroy wrote the script and Johansson is set to produce it alongside Lia and Keenan Flynn through These Pictures Productions, who was responsible for commissioning the script. The film is expected to start production as soon as Tatum is secured as a lead cast member.
Collider had the chance to interview Tatum about one of his most recent productions, Dog, back in February. The interview can be found below: