Alas, Dallas' last dance really was his last.
Matthew McConaughey will not reprise his role in Magic Mike XXL, director Gregory Jacobs confirmed. He didn't reveal the reason for the actor's absence, though he did say the sequel will be "very different."
"It's road trip movie, and put it this way: It's different enough that once you see it, you'll understand why we made a sequel," Jacobs explained. "No one will be accusing us of making the same movie twice."
Filming for the sequel began at the beginning of September, and it's been set for a July 1, 2015, release.
McConaughey will be missed, but several of Magic Mike's original cast members—including Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Channing Tatum—are back on board. Months before Jacobs told IndieWire that McConaughey will not be featured in the followup, actor-producer Tatum told MTV, "I think everyone's gonna be back...Obviously no one's deals are done, which is always kind of scary."
Kevin Nash, Alex Pettyfer and Adam Rodríguez also played strippers in the 2012 original. Jacobs said he is hiring new cast members, but because those deals aren't done yet, the director didn't disclose names.
When Tatum appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last week, he revealed that he originally wanted Chris Pratt to appear in the original, but scheduling conflicts prevented it. He also contemplated casting "sexy man" Zac Efron in Magic Mike XXL. "Of course, I want to see Zac naked," Tatum said with a laugh.