Salma Hayek is replacing Thandiwe Newton for her role in Magic Mike's Last Dance. Newton was hired last December for an undisclosed lead role in the third film of the famed male-stripper series. Channing Tatum and original director Steven Soderbergh, along with writer Reid Carolin, are returning for the upcoming sequel, which implies it will be the last for the franchise.
Newton is best known for her roles in films like Mission: Impossible 2, Crash, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the hit HBO series, Westworld. The actress is currently starring in the Prime Video original film, All The Old Knives, with Chris Pine and will reprise her role of Maeve Millay in Westworld season 4. Hayek is best known for her work in the Desperado franchise, From Dusk Till Dawn, Frida, and The Hitman's Bodyguard franchise. The actress recently appeared in Marvel's Eternals and Ridley Scott's House of Gucci.
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In a surprise exit, it was announced (via The Wrap) that Hayek would be replacing Newton in the Magic Mike's Last Dance role, citing "family matters" as the reason for her departure. Hayek's schedule was relatively open, so she should be able to easily slide into the role, while Newton has a full dance card with Westworld season 4 and her voice role as Ginger in the Chicken Run sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. A Warner Bros. spokesperson released the following statement on the matter:
“Thandiwe Newton has made the difficult decision to step away from the production of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ to deal with family matters.”
Outside of Tatum and Newton (and now Hayek), no other cast members have been announced for Magic Mike's Last Dance. Matthew McConaughey has lobbied to return for the sequel as his character, Dallas, while Joe Manganiello has said that he's "retired" from his role in the franchise. There's been no word on any of the other featured cast from the other two films, including Matt Bomer, Amber Heard or Kevin Nash. Tatum recently revealed that Magic Mike's Last Dance would be filming in London with "a reverse-role Pretty Woman story that ends up with a lot of dancing in it."
It's not that uncommon for stars to drop out of roles when filming is so close to commencing, as a myriad of reasons could affect such a decision. While it's not clear what particular family matters are affecting Newton's exit, Hayek will no doubt fill the role with the same spirit and strength that Newton would have. It's also unclear just what the role could be, although Soderbergh previously said that Tatum's Mike will be in a full-on relationship for Magic Mike's Last Dance, so it's entirely possible Hayek's role could be as the significant other in that scenario. Regardless of what it is, Hayek's presence is always a welcome one in any project she does, and she's sure to have her signature talent on full display.
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Source: The Wrap
