In a roundtable discussion featuring Steven Soderbergh and Zoe Kravitz about their film KIMI The director spoke about the highly anticipated third installment of the Magic Mike story, which is titled Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Soderbergh also discussed encouraging Channing Tatum to carry on the story. It is in part an inspiration for Tatum’s time as stripper in Tampa, Florida.

Soderbergh directed Magic Mike, which was released in 2012. Magic Mike was a big hit with audiences and critics, who not just praised the sex appeal and dance sequences, but also the script, direction and the performances. Tatum appeared alongside Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Matthew McConaughey. Bomer and Manganiello will also be back with Tatum in the 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL, this time directed by Gregory Jacobs, who was the first assistant director for the first film. The sequel was a huge success both critically and financially.

In the days when Magic Mike was still just one idea among many ideas, Soderbergh remembers pointing to it as the film Tatum should focus on. He explained that when Tatum pitched the idea on the set of Haywire the idea immediately attracted his attention. When the story was completed, Soderbergh was eager to get on board to make the idea become a possibility.

With a third movie coming soon, and that was announced in November, named Magic Mike’s Last Dance, Soderbergh gave us a preview of what we can expect in the final. He stated that, while he was aware that the Magic Mike concept would be an enormous success, he didn’t think that Tatum was looking to expand the world of the film into a broader area, one that dealt with masculinity, relationships and respect, which expanded in the sequel.

” Magic Mike’s Last Dance movie is sort like the culmination of all that we’ve been discussing in that space. It’s not just about taking the dance to a new level, but actually engaging in the relationship aspect that’s been an undercurrent in every film. Mike has a romantic relationship that’s in the middle of the movie, while everything else happens. We haven’t done that before.”

While Last Dance could very well be Mike Lane’s last dance, Soderbergh’s return to the franchise is an exciting development. Following the XXL sequel we’ve made it to the top, but there’s more to learn about Mike’s life story.