Magic Mike XXL, the sequel to the sexy Channing Tatum drama Magic Mike, has officially begun production.

Channing Tatum Begins Filming Magic Mike XXL

Tatum, who produced and developed 2012’s Magic Mike based on his own experiences as a male stripper, is, of course, returning for the sequel, which will follow his rag-tag team of stripper buddies as they road trip to a stripper convention. The stripper convention was actually one of the early seeds for Magic Mike, but was deemed too big and crazy for the low-budget film.

Magic Mike director Steven Soderbergh is back for the sequel, though he has officially passed on his director’s chair to Gregory Jacobs, a frequent Soderbergh collaborator. Instead, Soderbergh will be acting as director of photography, camera operator and film editor for Magic Mike XXL. “I want to be there, but I don’t want to be the director. I want to be a part of it. I want to be in the band, but I just don’t want to be the frontman this time,” Soderbergh explained.

It’s Soderbergh who announced that production on Magic Mike XXL had begun. On Sunday, Aug. 31, he tweeted out a photo of the film slate, writing, “It’s ON!”

Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello To Return

The photo was re-tweeted by Magic Mike co-stars Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Adam Rodriguez, all of whom are rumored to be returning for the sequel.

While Manganiello and Bomer have both hinted of their involvement in Magic Mike XXL, McConaughey and Magic Mike co-star Alex Pettyfer have been more silent on their roles in the sequel. It’s likely that McConaughey will reprise his role as Dallas in the sequel, as the role earned him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male in 2013. And, during an appearance on The Ellen Show, Manganiello briefly mentioned McConaughey, saying, “Now, we have to figure out McConaughey’s schedule because he won an Oscar!”

In a separate interview, Bomer confirmed to Ellen DeGeneres that Magic Mike XXL would take place at a stripper convention, joking, “It’s a strip-off to the death!”

Magic Mike XXL is slated to hit theaters July 1, 2015.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.