Anyone holding out hope that Matthew McConaughey’s “Dallas” was going to be amongst the returning cast members for Magic Mike: XXL can now officially scratch that possibility off their wish list. The actor has said before that he wouldn’t be involved in the sequel to the semi-autobiographical Channing Tatum film, Magic Mike, but some thought he was bluffing. After all, Tatum has said that the whole gang would be back. The film’s director, Greg Jacobs, has now revealed that Tatum was getting a little ahead of himself with that proclamation.

Jacobs has confirmed to IndieWire that McConaughey will not be in the film. As for the movie itself, the director insists that this will not just be another rehashed sequel. In fact, he goes so far as to say that it’s completely different kind of movie. Where as the first one was a sort of coming-of-age tale, set primarily in one place, XXL will be more of a road trip movie. It’ll explore new facets of the characters, and cover new ground. In his own words, the film will be “very different.” He adds, “It’s a 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. No one will be accusing us of making the same movie twice.”

While losing the Academy Award winning McConaughey may be a blow to the popular cast, Jacobs says that returning stars Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, and Alex Pettyfer will be joined by some new, as yet unannounced, stars.

On whether or not it’s strange to be assuming directing duties and taking over for his longtime friend and collaborator, Steven Soderbergh, Jacobs it’s no issue at all. It was Soderbergh who suggested he take the job, and taking that idea to a whole other level, Soderbergh will act as the film’s Director of Cinematography, Editor, and camera operator. “I think it’s going to be really fun. I mean, I’m on set every day when we’re shooting [Steven’s projects] as it is,” he says of his years producing many of Soderbergh’s films. “We’re constantly suggesting stuff to each other. It’s really intimate and collaborative and it always has been. So I think it’ll be a lot of fun,” Jacobs says. He continues, “We already shot some second unit stuff which was a total blast. I think it’s going to be a good time.“

Magic Mike XXL is slated to gyrate its way into theaters on July 1, 2015.

SOURCE: The Playlist