Did you watch the MTV Movie Awards last weekend? No, we didn’t either, but if you saw any of the recapped jokes or highlights you know that host Amy Schumer’s go-to joke centered on the ladies lust for “Magic Mike XXL.” If her take is anything to go by, the female audiences most anticipated movie of summer 2015 is certainly this “Magic Mike” sequel. So what happens in part 2? "Just a bunch of naked dudes sitting around doing dude stuff. We read all the message boards, and people were like, ‘Less story. Less plot. Just dudes’ things.’ And we listened to that,” star Channing Tatum recently joked to EW.
There are changes to the movie and the behind-the-scenes creators though; the movie takes place three years after the first one and gone are Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer and Cody Horn’s characters. But the cast is stacked with newcomers that include Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith, Andie Macdowell, Jane McNeill, Max Webster, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Glover and Michael Strahan (the original strippers crew Adam Rodriguez, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, and Joe Manganiello are all back, too).
And since Steven Soderbergh has “retired,” he’s no longer behind the camera as director. Instead, it’s his longtime friend, producing partner, first A.D. and creative bff, Greg Jacobs. You’ll still feel Soderbergh’s presence though. On top of being a producer, he also shot the movie and edited it. “Chan and Steven turned to me and were like, ‘What do you think?’ ” Jacobs told EW. “I guess keeping it in the family made the most sense.”
READ MORE: Retrospective: The Films Of Steven Soderbergh
Film numero two catches up with the boys as they’re on a road trip to a stripper convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Madness and mayhem ensue as they run into these new characters, like a strip club owner played by Jada Pinkett Smith. Oh, and remember at one point there was an idea of a “Magic Mike” musical? “It is still in the works,” Tatum said. “We’re getting it going. Oddly enough, the second one lends itself more to the musical. I think our original idea was to do a prequel, like how Mike got in.”
Meanwhile, a new poster and trailer for the movie have arrived and they’ll have to whet your appetite for now. “Magic Mike XXL” goes back to the grind on July 1st.