Magic Mike (June 29)

Silver: After seeing Channing Tatum’s comedy chops in 21 Jump Street, it was clear that this guy was 3-5 years away from Will Smith-level superstardom. He’s a quadruple threat; action hero (G.I. Joe), dramatic actor (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints), funny man (21 Jump Street), and sex symbol (name any of his films). So although a small character piece about a male stripper doesn’t feel like the logical follow-up to Tatum’s newly upped Q Score, I’d argue that this film is exactly what he needs as it fulfills his final requirement to the “I’d like to inquire about the cost of that island” club, as this is the film that will highlight the sensitive and vulnerable side of Tatum. As a result, millions of women around the world will subconsciously view him as “attainable.” So let the comparisons to current and future mates begin. It also doesn’t hurt that in Magic Mike Tatum and his abs play a successful male stripper, or that the film is semi-autobiographical and is a result of conversations between Mike’s director Steven Soderbergh and Tatum while on the set of Haywire. If this movie has any success, look for Tatum to be a dark horse for an Oscar nomination in the fall.