Magic Mike doesn’t need a sequel. I suppose, admittedly, that just about every good film doesn’t need a sequel, but Steven Soderbergh‘s examination of male identity and a struggle for independence in the modern world — if you haven’t seen it: I swear to God, that’s what it’s about — is an open-and-shut story that’s also very much of its time. When you’re making a huge profit at the box office, however?

We already know how it goes, but I still can’t determine how Magic Mike 2 would shape up or shake out. Channing Tatum, of course, has some idea, as a Q & A with the readers of Glamour (can anyone hear a mention of the magazine without thinking of Seinfeld?) raised the question of a sequel — and brought a vague (albeit solid) answer. The star said he and some other folk — I would think screenwriter and producing partner Reid Carolin is a main force here — are “working on the concept now,” with there being an intention to “flip the script and make it bigger.”

I suppose “flipping the script” could refer to some inversion of the main character’s trajectory, which… well, you can probably guess what I mean, even if you haven’t seen Magic Mike, but I still won’t go and spoil it. And, considering where the film left all of its other disrobers, I do see what he means by going “bigger” — it just might not be a good idea. I sort of get, if you will, a Saturday Night Fever-to-Staying Alive vibe — i.e., a misunderstanding of the original and, concurrently, a simple exploitation of its “flashier” moments — and it’d be a shame to see some cheap knock-off from much of the original creative party.

But Tatum was an instrumental voice in getting the original made, so I like to think he understands this story and what makes it work so well in the first place. Unfortunate, still, that Soderbergh won’t be back, what with the impending sabbatical and all; without him, I fear Magic Mike 2 could be nothing more than a copy of its original self. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

Do you see the purpose in giving Magic Mike a follow-up? What could be done with the story?