StepUp2 Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I admit that cheesy dance flicks are a guilty pleasure of mine -- everything from Fast Forward to You Got Served; I've seen them all. But even I'm not so sure about this one. Variety reports that Disney is planning a third installment in their dance franchise, Step Up, but with the added bonus of 3-D.

Its no surprise that there is going to be another flick, especially with box office totals equaling $28.7 million on President's Day weekend alone. Not to mention the sequel only cost about $20 million to make -- once they cash in on DVD sales, it is going to make a tidy profit for the mouse. Throw in the spectacle of 3-D, and Disney is banking big that the current dance movie craze holds long enough to get them another good return on their investment.

Producing partners Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot will also produce the third film and Jon Chu is expected to return to direct. Since it is still early days for the flick, a script has yet to be written, so there is no word on whether the third film will be a stand-alone (like the first two) or a continuation of the sequel. Although, let's be honest: it's going to be some variation of the same old theme. Either a girl, or boy, from different sides of the proverbial tracks, somebody learns to dance 'street', and so on and so forth. I don't want to belittle the work of the writers, but the story line for these flicks always takes a back seat to the choreography ... so does it even really matter? The film is still in development with Disney, but will probably arrive in theaters sometime next year.

When I finished watching the teen dance picture Step Up, I didn't really know how to respond. My beliefs had been questioned, my faith had been shaken, my soul was born anew. I sat there in the theater as the lights came up, looking around at the other tear-drenched faces in the audience, and we all just knew. You know? We knew we had been a part of something special, something powerful, something ... important. Not a day has gone by since that I haven't wondered what became of Tyler Gage -- the rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore's tracks, and Nora Clark -- the privileged ballet dancer with the heart of gold. Watching the sparks fly between those two mismatched spirits, (both on and off the stage!) did this wintry heart good, and I've wondered about -- nay, longed for -- a day when we might be able to see those dreamers Step Up ... just one more time.

My dreams have become a reality. Step Up 2 begins filming this July, with John Chu directing. Chu directed the 2007 Chinese film The Secret of the Magic Gourd, about "a boy who learns the meaning of work after a magic gourd grants him anything he wants." (I'm assuming it's a documentary). Step Up 2 will be set at the Maryland School for the Arts. There's no word yet on whether frequently wife-beatered heartthrob Channing Tatum will return or whether the sequel will focus on new characters, but I'm betting on the latter. With his performance in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints so well-received and his next film being the buzzed-about Kimberly Pierce drama Stop Loss, I'd imagine Tatum is on to more serious projects. On a side note, are you aware that if Tatum O'Neal married Channing Tatum, her name would be Tatum Tatum? Something to think about.