Magic Mike's Last Dance is a 2023 romantic comedy written by Reid Carolin and directed by Steven Soderbergh. It is the third and final installment in the Magic Mike franchise, once again starring Channing Tatum in the titular role of "Magic" Mike.
After losing his furniture business during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Mike (Tatum) is working as a bartender for a catering company to make ends meet. When an old patron of his recognizes him on the job and recommends his "services" to her boss, wealthy socialite Maxandra "Max" Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault), the two form an unlikely bond that has him coming out of retirement to direct a male striptease production for her in London. As the pressure rises to deliver a quality product, their simmering attraction to one another and various external forces threaten to ruin his show before it even premieres.
Also appearing in the film are Ayub Khan Din, Jemelia George, and Juliette Motamed, while Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, and Adam Rodriguez reprise their roles from previous films in brief cameos.
Magic Mike's Last Dance was released on February 10, 2023. Originally slated to premiere as a streaming exclusive for HBO Max, positive test screenings led Warner Bros. to plan a wide theatrical release instead. It is intended to be the final installment of the Mike-focused movie series, but Soderbergh has teased the potential for spinoffs following other characters in the franchise.
Magic Mike's Last Tropes:
- Adoption Angst: Max's daughter Zadie has conflicted feelings over her status as an adopted child.
- The Bus Came Back / Small Role, Big Impact: Kim, a bridesmaid in the first film enjoying Mike's services, briefly returns and essentially moves the plot into being.
- A meta example with Steven Soderberg, who returns as director after not helming XXL.
- The Cameo: Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Kevin Nash, and Adam Rodriguez appear (uncredited) in just one scene of the film, talking with Mike over a video call while he's in London.
- Character Title: Once again features Mike's name in the title.
- Contrasting Sequel Setting: Last Dance moves the action from Florida and the southern United States to London, contrasting the seedy atmosphere of the first two films to the stuffy, conservative nature of this one.
- Last Girl Wins: The movie ends with the implication that Mike has finally found his match in Max, and the two seemingly commit to a relationship with one another.
- Lighter and Softer: More so compared to the original film than XXL, but the tone of Last Dance is less overtly sexual or saucy than either of them, focusing on the brewing romantic relationship between Mike and Max. It's tonally more in line with Pretty Woman by way of Staying Alive than anything else.
- May–December Romance: Downplayed as Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek Pinault are only fourteen years apart in age, but their relationship still has the vibe of an older woman falling for a younger man to the point where several characters remark on its novelty. It's also implied that Richie and Nancy may still be in some sort of relationship with one another after the events of the past film, with him possibly living with her now.
- Meal Ticket: Subverted. Max is quite wealthy through her marriage, much more so than Mike, but she ends the film essentially giving up her wealth to be with Mike.
- Merchandise-Driven: A rare non-cartoon, non-toy example. Last Dance partially exists to promote the live stage show running in Las Vegas, London, and touring throughout the United States, and even features many of the dancers appearing in the actual productions.
- Offscreen Breakup: Much like XXL, Last Dance begins with Mike not currently in a relationship, with no explanation given for his and Zoe's breakup. This works to establish the stakes of Mike's relationship with Max, continuing his character arc of being unlucky in love as he starts getting older and would perhaps like to settle down with someone.
- Only in It for the Money: Mike is often accused of this in regards to his working (and romantic) relationship with Max.
- Stopped Numbering Sequels: Subverted. The previous film, XXL, technically has a number in its title, but not one reflecting its order in the franchise. This one drops any sort of numbering in the name.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Much like how XXL established Mike's financial difficulty in keeping his business without a side hustle to help support it, Last Dance reiterates the idea by revealing he's since lost it because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, which was true of many small business in real life as well.
- The Voiceless: Contrasting with the prior two films, none of the dancers in Mike's show ever speak in a substantial way, and only one is even given a name onscreen.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Max's daughter Zadie comes across as this, with her often coming across as the more responsible one of the two.
