Salma Hayek replaces Thandiwe Newton in “Magic Mike 3”

Salma Hayek will star in Magic Mike 3, replacing Thandiwe Newton, while the film is already being shot. The production explained this change by personal reasons.

“Thandiwe Newton has made the difficult decision to retire from the production of Magic Mike’s Last Dance from Warner Bros. Pictures to take care of family matters”, reveals a spokesperson for the production, to variety.

The move follows rumors that the actress was fired after a falling out with the film’s star Channing Tatum. “Totally inaccurate” information, according to Thandiwe Newton’s press officer.

A crucial role

This upheaval in the production is anything but anecdotal: the female role is, according to Reid Carolin, the author of the precedents magic mike, crucial. “It’s really the story of a woman stuck in a horrible strip show, like the Chippendales, and then realizing, ‘What am I doing here?’ “, he had revealed in February to variety.

Magic Mike 3 is directed by Steven Soderbergh, who had already directed the first episode of the saga.