Steven Soderbergh to Edit and Shoot 'Magic Mike XXL'

Steven Soderbergh may be retired from directing features, but that doesn't mean he's totally left Hollywood behind. He's been busy developing Cinemax's The Knick, starring Clive Owen, and as for Channing Tatum's sequel Magic Mike XXL, Soderbergh is going to have plenty to do with that, too.

Soderbergh directed the first film but it will be his frequent collaborator Greg Jacobs on board for the follow-up. In an interview with GQ, Tatum and Soderbergh talk about the filmmaker's return to the franchise, revealing that Soderbergh will be director of photography, editor, and camera operator.

Soderberg: "I want to be there, but I don't want to be the director. I want to be a part of it. I want to be in the band, but I just don't want to be the frontman this time."

As for the plot, Tatum has suggested it will be more of a road trip movie with many of the prior cast returning. Now he expands a little on that, adding that it will deal with some of the crazy adventures he had attending stripper conventions. Those are apparently things.

Tatum: "It's an incubator for insanity. It doesn't matter almost what you do onstage. I don't want to put anything in black and white on a page, but if you've been to one, you know how crazy it gets, and now pour kerosene on that. You've seen 'Magic Mike'. Now multiply that. Mob mentality. It's just exponentially crazier. I thought it was absolutely insane."

 Magic Mike XXL opens July 3rd 2015.