Thandiwe Newton Steps Aside, Salma Hayek Takes Her Place In 'Magic Mike's Last Dance'

Thandiwe Newton is bowing out of "Magic Mike's Last Dance," Channing Tatum's high-testosterone movie!

The English actress, who has achieved worldwide recognition for her remarkable performances, will no longer be a part of the famous franchise.

The "Beloved" star's role as the female lead in the third installment of the male strippers' series has been taken over by the Mexican-American Queen Salma Hayek.

As shared by Variety, Newton recently dropped out of the "Magic Mike" franchise's latest project because of personal reasons, a decision the Studio claimed did not come easy.

On Wednesday, April 13, a representative of Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed to the news outlet that "The Pursuit of Happyness" star has left the upcoming movie. The spokesperson said:

"Thandiwe Newton has made the difficult decision to step away from the production of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Magic Mike’s Last Dance to deal with family matters."

To fill the British Academy Film Award winner's empty boot, the studio recruited Hayek, an actress best known for her breathtaking appearance.

The Academy Award nominee seemed to be a perfect replacement for the Westminster native, as her beauty and skills fit well with the sensuous male cast.

Although details about "Magic Mike's Last Dance" were being kept under wraps, the outlet revealed that the franchise's third installment was being exclusively produced for HBO Max.

The original showrunners were also making a splashy return with Reid Carolin, the screenwriter of the first two movies creating another masterpiece under the guidance of the first movie's director Steven Soderbergh.

As for Gregory Jacobs, director of "Magic Mike XXL," the 53-year-old won't be behind the cameras as he served as the film's producer alongside Carolin, Nick Wechsler, and Peter Kiernan.

The production of "Magic Mike's Last Dance," recently began in the U.K. and this movie shall reportedly seal the franchise's fate.

Back in February, Tatum, the series' male lead, revealed that the strip show's third movie would give fans a new direction to enjoy as it promised to have a "strong" female character.

The "21 Jump Street" star hinted that the female protagonist would play an important role in the sequel’s plot, noting that this character could stand on par with his role. The 41-year-old said:

"It's going to have a really strong, almost stronger than Mike, character that's female … we’ve never done a traditional love story, and this isn’t a traditional love story."

Regarding the female lead, Carolin explained that the story was about " a woman stuck at a horrible strip show like a Chippendales and then realizing, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’"

The screenwriter added, "And then Magic Mike comes down from the ceiling. She gets to go down the rabbit hole and asks: What do I really want?"

As for the answer to the character's question, fans would get a reply once the movie has been released. Perhaps "Magic Mike's Last Dance" would also be a box office hit like its predecessors.

The previous two movies were buzz-worthy, grossing nearly "$300 million" worldwide. The franchise's popularity also created live stage shows in cities like London, Las Vegas, Berlin, and Australia.

As previously reported by The Blast, Newton got emotional while addressing the discrimination faced by Black women, especially those in Hollywood.

The 49-year-old, who played the role of a grief-stricken professor fighting against two white hunters trespassing on her property in "God’s Country," revealed that this role changed her opinions on colorism.

"My internalized prejudice was stopping me from feeling like I could play this role when it’s precisely that prejudice that I’ve received," the actress explained.

"Doesn’t matter that it’s from African American women more than anyone else, doesn’t matter," she continued, "I received prejudice. Anyone who’s received oppression and prejudice feels this character."

Barely holding back her tears, the "All the Old Knives" star apologized to her fellow dark-skinned actresses for enjoying the benefits they did not have. In the Westminster native's words:

"I’ve wanted so desperately to apologize for every day to darker-skinned actresses. To say, ‘I’m sorry I’m the one chosen.'"