Acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh is set to make a movie about male strippers starring Channing Tatum. Ordinarily, this, in and of itself, would be the noteworthy element of the story, but considering the helmer went on Rich Eisen's podcast a few months back and claimed he was retiring, this little double talk wrinkle probably takes precedence. The original claim, made in January, was widely questioned at the time, despite the fact that it came from the director himself. People not named Barry Sanders just don't really up and retire when they still have more to give, at least not usually, but at the end of the day, I'll take some contradictions from a great director if it means at least one more wonderful film, even if it's about male strippers.

Titled Magic Mike, it draws on Channing Tatum's own history as a male stripper, though unlike in real life, he'll play the old veteran who tutors an up and comer on the grinds of working in the industry. Speaking about the project, Tatum issues the following statement, “This was a wild and pivotal time in my life and I couldn't be more thrilled to go down the rabbit hole with Steven." A wild time is probably an understatement. The Reid Carolin penned script reportedly features plenty of boozing, women, partying and of course, disrobing.

Soderbergh is reportedly shooting for a Saturday Night Fever feel, but when the project itself will actually shoot is anyone's guess. The director is incredibly busy over the next year or so with the Michael Douglas and Matt Damon biopic Liberace and the George Clooney collaboration The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. Look for this one to squeeze in between the two and film sometime very late this year or early next year.