Channing Tatum is getting back to his dance roots with plans to launch a live stage show inspired by his 2006 dance musical film “Step Up.”
Tatum’s production company Free Association will launch new division FA Live, which will create, produce and distribute live entertainment. The “Step Up” show, on which FA Live will partner with Lionsgate, will be the first project for the new branch of the company and is targeting a debut in mid-2023.
The “Step Up” show will also recruit choreographers from the “Magic Mike” franchise Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick as directors of dance. The new live show will be similar to the “Magic Mike Live” performances and aim to extend the story of the film series, and the show will also be performed in an immersive, custom-built venue.
The live show will also include a new dance academy, which will provide young people of all abilities an opportunity to learn from the choreographers who are shaping the art form. The new live show will introduce an entirely new creative narrative to the “Step Up” canon.
Free Association principal Peter Kiernan will lead FA Live as CEO, with Tatum and Reid Carolin serving as chief creative officers. Don Gilmore will serve as head of physical production. And Vincent Marini, who is currently the executive producer of the “Magic Mike Live” show, has been tapped as COO and president of production for FA Live. All key creative team members from “Magic Mike Live” will shepherd and direct the new project, led by Tatum, Carolin, Marini, Faulk and Broadlick.
“After building out five productions of ‘Magic Mike Live’ on three continents since 2017, our FA Live team is excited to now turn their creative talents to Lionsgate’s beloved dance franchise ‘Step Up,’” Kiernan said. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring the experience and knowledge we’ve developed creating custom venues and one-of-a-kind theatrical experiences.”
“The original ‘Step Up’ film was a huge part of Channing’s origin story,” said Marini. “It was one of his first films and helped cultivate a love for dance that has really driven much of what we’ve done in the live space over the last five years.”
The “Step Up” movie franchise has grossed $650 million at the worldwide box office over film films and also has a Starz series “Step Up: Highwater” now in its third season. Tatum and Carolin also recently released their directorial debut “Dog.”
