We’re overrun by movie franchises these days, from superheroes to Star Wars and everything in between. But one franchise is back to remind us it’s fun to be sexy. The trailer for Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the third installment of the franchise following Michael “Magic Mike” Lane (Channing Tatum) and his troupe of strippers, dropped Tuesday, teasing a new romantic lead and a new opportunity for the dancing entrepreneur.
The trailer opens with strong beach vibes in Miami, as Mike shows a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek Pinault) his talent for lap dancing, in what looks like a very intimate scene. True to this excellent franchise, it’s intimate in more ways than one. It’s sexy (and dripping with sweat), but a real connection forms as Mike finally has someone who believes in his talent.
From the trailer, we can see Hayek Pinault’s character take Mike to London to put on a show, as she promises to wake audiences up with “a wave of passion they’ve never felt before.” The trailer then shows a barrage of dance sequences on stage, taking us back to the roots of the franchise.
There’s also a brief gag at the end calling back to the original movie, where a woman thinks she recognizes Mike from his time as a cop. He was, uh, not a real cop.
Tatum returns to the role, of course, but director Steven Soderbergh also comes back after passing the directorial reins to Gregory Jacobs for the second installment.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance was initially slated to go straight to HBO Max, but in September was granted a theatrical release. The first two movies are genuinely excellent, and two of my favorite movies of the century — the original Magic Mike is a fun gender-swapped romantic comedy with a heart of gold, while the follow-up, Magic Mike XXL, is an exuberant celebration of joy and pleasure.
Both of the first two movies are streaming on HBO Max right now. Get on it and practice your dance moves before the new one comes out in theaters Feb. 10, 2023.