After Joe Manganiello’s informal announcement about Steven Soderbegh’s Magic Mike sequel will shoot this fall, new details have popped up about the stripper dramedy.
While potential helmers to take over the directing chair for the sequel included star and original co-writer Channing Tatum and co-writer/producer Reid Carolin, sources close to the camp tell The Playlist that a filmmaker has been found: Greg Jacobs. And that the title of the sequel will be “Magic Mike XXL.” Look for an “official announcement” soon, but the team behind the movie has decided on their man.
With Soderbergh sticked to executive producer on the project, Jacob’s name is not that surprising , after he has been the director’s right hand for decades. He’s been Soderbergh’s first AD since “King Of The Hill,” acted as a producer on most of his films since “Full Frontal,” and routinely performs both gigs (he was one of the producers and first AD on “Magic Mike” for example, and is an exec. producer on Soderbergh’s upcoming Showtime series “The Knick” as well).
Jacobs project includes “Criminal,” the U.S. remake of Argentina’s “Nine Queens” in 2004, and “Wind Chill” starring Emily Blunt in 2007. The recent project of his is titles “Red Oaks” Am a single-camera comedy that Jacobs created, wrote and is executive producing. He would have directed it himself, but with the Magic Mike sequel on the list, the task has been appointed to David Gordon Green, who almost directed the Soderbergh-produced adaptation of “A Confederacy Of Dunces”.