NEWS FLASH: New Channing Tatum Interview from New York Post and Hollywood.com

I wanted to let everyone know that the New York Post and Hollywood.com just released a new article on Channing Tatum and his upcoming action/drama ‘Fighting‘.

Some of the Hollywood.com questions and Chan’s answers in the article may look a little familiar if you read my recent post on his ComingSoon.net interview, but the new interview is still definitely worth the read, since we learn a little more about Channing and what it’s like to work on a Dito Montiel film again.

One of the things I find interesting in the article is that Hollywood.com refers to Channing’s character’s name as ‘Shawn Macarthur’, but IMDB says it’s ‘Sean Arthur’ and Chan’s trailer door on set had the name ‘Shawn’ on it. I’m not 100% certain what his character’s name is at this point, so I guess we’ll all have to see the movie (which is set for a 2008 release) to know for sure.

Regardless of what Chan’s character’s name ends up being, just make sure to check out the new interview below….

Round Two: Channing Tatum in the Ring Again with ‘Fighting’ Director

Paris Hampton
Special to Hollywood.com

Channing Tatum’s wholesome-meets-edgy good looks and smooth moves made him the object of many a teen girl’s affection in his role in Step Up. but it was his unflinching performance in Dito Montiel’s Sundance-winning directorial debut A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints that made other thespians stand up and take notice.

Now starring in Fighting, Channing challenges himself in a drama that is also a test of physical endurance.

According to Fighting producer Kevin Misher, Channing Tatum is a natural at playing the role of ‘Shawn Macarthur.’ Channing’s character is a naïve outsider who comes to the ‘big city’ and struggles to survive, hustling counterfeit goods on the street. When he meets Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) and is introduced into the world of high stakes street fighting, he is plunged into an underground community, encompassing every fighting discipline–where anything goes.

Hollywood.com caught up with Channing on the set of Fighting to hear more about his exciting and ongoing collaboration with Dito Montiel:

Hollywood.com: This is ’round two’ for you and Dito. How does that feel?

Channing Tatum: I literally have to pinch myself every day. The first experience with him was so easy and painless–it was a labor of love. It was his life’s story and it had so much heart in it. This film, we get to create from scratch. We’ve taken a little from his past and my past.

HW: Are you taking a beating?

CT: I’m not really all that tough. And I’m playing the character like he’s a nice kid from the South, who comes up to New York and needs to make some money. And my character is desperate. From there, it spirals and goes into a crazy, dark world of fighting. It’s pretty brutal. I got hit in the nose a few times–it was broken and bleeding. It was good though. At the end of the day, you feel like you’ve been in a fight!

HW: Did you train for this?

CT: I did. I’m not a tough guy, by any means. I went to private school–Catholic school. I trained for a month on my own at Legends Gym in L.A. I checked out fighters on YouTube. With a real fighter, there’s no hesitation and I didn’t want to be timid. My character is a high school wrestler, so he knows how to handle himself in a physical altercation. He has a talent for losing it. But I’m actually not big on violence–’I'm a Lover…’

HW: Do you and Dito have shorthand?

CT: Oh yeah. I get the way Dito writes. I think he likes the characters to talk about nothing, but still have the feeling of a scene underneath it. And that is something that a lot of directors and actors forget: you don’t have to spell it out. If a guy and a girl are sitting at a restaurant, he’ll [Dito will] say, “We can tell you like each other by you two sitting there. If you wanna fall in love, go the opposite way.” It’s crazy, but it somehow translates.

HW: What’s it like working with Terrence?

CT: Terrence is the most genuinely gifted crazy man I’ve ever met in my life. He’s crazy, but in the most beautiful way possible. He’s such an empathetic person. He really is a street corner poet; he’s an artist from the ground up–every piece of him!

HW: Your career is really taking off. Are you ready to make the jump to the A-list?

CT: I don’t know, man. I really can’t even think that way. It’s too weird and big to think about. [Laughs] I just want to ‘get’ this scene we’re working on right.

HW: Who else would you like to work with?

CT: People like Dito! I’m also going to be working with Oliver Stone. I’m going to do a Vietnam movie with him. It’s his last movie about Vietnam–or so he says! I want to work with great filmmakers and great actors and great writers.

HW: Chazz Palminteri gave you advice on A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints about acting…

CT: He told me to keep a good head on my shoulders; he taught me more about acting than I’ve ever learned in a class. I was really worried about people hating my character in Saints–I was terrified. But Chazz said, “People don’t have to like your character, they just have to understand him.” I don’t know if people will like my character in this movie–he’s kinda weird. He’s an underdog. But I understand him.

Channing Tatum Pictures of the Week: Fabulous Fan Photo Submission

Each week Channing Tatum Unwrapped will post one or more of our favorite pictures of the uber hot Channing Tatum.

Today’s Picture of the Week was submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Kerline of New York.

This picture is actually the very first photo I took with Channing when I was lucky enough to snag an exclusive interview and invite to the New York set of his movie ‘Fighting‘, which hopefully explains my extra cheesy smile. Needless to say, it’s probably my all time favorite picture of him (seriously, do you blame me?) and is perfect for the last Picture of the Week for 2007.

Here’s what Kerline had to say about why she chose the photo as the Picture of the Week:

Ok so I like this picture a lot. It’s not because of how gorgeous both Q and Chan look in this picture, that was just a plus. But just because of what this picture really represents. You can just tell how much of a down-to-earth person Chan really is. He REALLY cares about his fans, look at what he did for Q, invited her down to the set of his movie. All of this makes me like him sooooo much more!

-Kerline

Thanks for sending in this great photo, Kerby! Everyone can CLICK HERE to watch a video of all of the photos I took on the set and when I met Fabulous Channing Tatum Fans like Kerline in New York.

You can also CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of all of the exclusive behind-the-scenes pictures we have so far in the CTU photo gallery for Chan’s upcoming movie ‘Fighting‘ which will be released in 2008.

If you have a favorite picture from this blog, our photo gallery, a picture you have made or a picture that you have found on the net that you would like me to consider, send the picture or a link to the picture to potw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell me why you like it. I will post it and your explanation on the blog. If you like or don’t like today’s picture (for some completely insane reason), let everyone know that too by clicking on the comments link below.

Channing Tatum Video of the Week: Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes MSN Interview for ‘She’s the Man’

Today’s Video of the Week was submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Allison. This particular MSN interview with Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes for their highly successful 2006 comedy ‘She’s the Man‘ has been nominated at least 3 times this year and fans never seem to tire of seeing it.

I really don’t blame everyone, because it’s hands down the funniest Channing Tatum interview I have ever seen and that says a lot, because as you can imagine, I’ve seen a lot of his interviews. All I can say is, the video starts and hilarity ensues. You can click here to check out the extremely funny interview or you can watch it below. Enjoy!!!

Here’s what Allison has to say about the video…

Hey Q!! I would have to say that this interview with Chan is the best interview i have seen! Chan was SOO unbelievably funny and was just being himself! Chan and Amanda were hilarious together during it! I love when Chan tries acting like a girl!! haha this is by far the best!!!! LOVE IT!! Watch his BEST GIRL POSE! LMAO!! LOVE IT AGAIN! I laughed so hard when i saw this the first time!! lol HAHA THERE IS SOMETHING FLOATING!! haha they just start crackin up laughin reallly hard! lol oh gosh what a knee clapper lol! oh and Chan looks SO cute!! AHHH!!

-Ally

Thanks Allison for submitting this awesome video! It’s quite appropriate since it’s officially the last Video of the Week for the year and is definitely a 2007 fan favorite.

If you have a favorite video that you would like me to consider, send a link to the video to votw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell me why you like it. I will post it and your explanation on the blog.

NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum and Girlfriend Jenna Dewan’s Date Night at the Movies

Thanks to celebrity blogger Jared over at the ever-popular JustJared.com we have awesome new pictures of Channing Tatum and real-life girlfriend Jenna Dewan on a movie date last night at the Arclight Cinemas theater in Los Angeles, California.

It’s always good to see Channing and Jenna getting a bit of a break. Both have been extremely busy for months and just wrapped filming on a couple of movies recently. Channing completed his latest movie ‘Fighting‘ in November right before Thanksgiving and IMDB says that Jenna’s comedy ‘The Jerk Theory‘ is currently in post production too.

Below you can check out all of the new Just Jared photos of the happy couple we affectionately call Chenna out and about last night:

Jared says that fourteen films were playing at the Arclight last night: Atonement, Charlie Wilson’s War, Juno, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, No Country For Old Men, P.S. I Love You, Sweeney Todd, The Golden Compass, The Kite Runner, The Orphanage, The Water Horse, There Will Be Blood and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

For fun he asks his readers which movie they think Channing and Jenna saw last night. From what I know about Channing, I’m going to put my money on Tim Burton’s musical thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street for a quite few reasons…Last time I saw him I recall Channing mentioning that he liked Johnny Depp’s work, in interviews he said he likes both musicals and dark films, the Stop-Loss trailer just so happens to play before the film, and Sweeney Todd and Stop-Loss are both Paramount movies, so that particular film seems to fit the bill nicely. If you have an opinion on which movie you think Chenna watched, feel free to click on the comments link below this post and let everyone know.

Luckily for all of us fans, Channing and Jenna are both going to have a very busy 2008, since each of them has 4 movies scheduled for release. Just to remind everyone, Channing has the following movies coming out next year:

• ‘Step Up 2: The Streets‘ (February 14, 2008)
• ‘Battle in Seattle‘ (March 2008)
• ‘Stop-Loss‘ (March 28, 2008)
• ‘Fighting‘ (2008)

And here’s a list of Jenna’s movies for the upcoming year:

• ‘Love Lies Bleeding‘ (US DVD Release - January 15, 2008)
• ‘Wonderwall‘ (2008)
• ‘The Jerk Theory‘ (2008)
• ‘The Six Wives of Henry Lefay‘ (2008)

So make sure to mark your calendars and check out all of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s movies in 2008. Also, thanks to Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Hannah for the heads up on the article post!!!

NEWS FLASH: Check Out New High Quality Movie Stills from ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ & New Iceland Release Date

‘Step Up 2: The Streets‘, the sequel to Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s highly-successful 2006 dance hit ‘Step Up‘, just posted three hot, new high quality movie stills showcasing the dance moves and definite chemistry between lead’s Briana Evigan and Robert Hoffman. Check out the new stills below…

Don’t forget that you will also find over 100 movie stills and behind-the-scenes photos of Channing Tatum and the rest of the ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ cast and crew in the Channing Tatum Unwrapped photo gallery.

Finally, the production team added a new theatrical release date for Iceland. As a reminder, here are all of the dates that ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ may hit a theater new you:

• USA – February 14, 2008
• Czech Republic – February 14, 2008
• UK – February 15, 2008
• Belguim - February 20, 2008
• Netherlands – February 21, 2008
• Iceland - February 22, 2008
• Russia - February 28, 2008
• Italy - March 2008
• Slovakia – March 18, 2008
• France – April 23, 2008
• Germany – April 24, 2008

Stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped, and I will let you know when any new release dates around the world are added.

Check out the ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ official site if you want more information about the movie. You can CLICK HERE to watch the new trailer, in case you haven’t seen it yet or just want to see it again!!!

NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum’s ‘Battle in Seattle’ Opens Sedona International Film Festival

Listen up if you’re an Arizona-based Channing Tatum fan…I wanted to let you know that his drama ‘Battle in Seattle‘ will open the 14th annual Sedona International Film Festival and Workshop.

The festival will take place February 27 - March 2, 2008 and ‘Battle in Seattle‘ will be one of two opening night films.

The full festival lineup will be announced in January, but advance tickets are available at a 20 percent discount off regular prices if ordered by December 31.

The Sedona International Film Festival and Workshop kicks off with a Wednesday night preview party at the Festival Pavilion. Films will then be screened at the festival’s main location, Harkins Theater in Sedona, 2081 W. Hwy. 89A, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Call (928) 282-1177 for more information or log on to www.sedonafilmfestival.com.

For the rest of us fans who aren’t lucky enough to be anywhere near Arizona, here are all of the current release dates for ‘Battle in Seattle‘ around the world:

• USA - March 2008 (Limited Release)
• France - April 2, 2008
• Belgium - April 2, 2008
• Netherlands - June 5, 2008

Channing Tatum Videos of the Week: New "Low" Music Video from ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’

Today’s Video of the Week was submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Naz from London, England. It was recently posted on YouTube by the ‘Step Up 2: The Streets‘ production team and is a new version of Flo Rida’s music video for the soundtrack song “Low”.

You can check out even more of the highly-anticipated film’s outrageous dance routines in the second version of the video. Click here to see it or you can watch it below. Enjoy!!!

Thanks Naz for submitting this video!!!! You can CLICK HERE to check out the first version of the video, which is currently doing extremely well on all of the music channel countdowns and (unlike the second version of the video) also happens to include some of Channing’s hot dance cameo.

If you have a favorite video that you would like me to consider, send a link to the video to votw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell me why you like it. I will post it and your explanation on the blog.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Channing Tatum Unwrapped!!!

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! I also want to give a huge thanks to all of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s amazing fans around the world who took the time to submit photos and graphics for this year’s Christmas gift.

I sent the video to Channing, Jenna, and his family a few days ago. They all loved it and are quite impressed by our close-knit, multi-continent family and the obvious love and effort that went into the gift.

See if you can find yourself in the awesome video you’ve all been waiting for…

New Behind-the-Scenes Photos from ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’

Here’s a new poster for ‘Step Up 2: The Streets‘, the sequel to Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s dance hit ‘ Step Up‘, which will release in US theaters February 14, 2008.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have added almost 50 new behind-the-scenes photos from ‘Step Up 2: The Streets‘ to the Channing Tatum Unwrapped photo gallery.

The new photos include leads Robert Hoffman, Briana Evigan, and Cassie and director John Chu on the set of the film and music videos for the film.

You can also check out photos of the six MySpace Dance Contest winners and the Sing on the Soundtrack contest winners Denial (Rapper), Sikora (Male Vocalist), and Montana (Female Vocalist and Grand Prize Winner) as they work on their track “Ain’t No Stressin” in the recording studio and with Robert Hoffman, Briana Evigan, and director John Chu on the set of the video for the song.

Here are some of the pictures you can now find in the gallery:

Channing Tatum Videos of the Week: ‘She’s the Man’ Blooper Reel

Today’s Video of the Week was recently posted on YouTube and is the blooper reel from Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes’ hilarious comedy ‘She’s the Man‘. I can always count on the movie for a good laugh, so its no surprise that the bloopers are extremely funny. You can click here to see the video or you can watch it below. Enjoy!!!

If you have a favorite video that you would like me to consider, send a link to the video to votw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell me why you like it. I will post it and your explanation on the blog.

NEWS FLASH: Watch Channing Tatum’s ‘Stop-Loss’ Trailer On the Big Screen

Other than seeing him in person, there are few things better than seeing Channing Tatum on the big screen.

I just learned that you can now watch the new trailer for Channing’s film ‘Stop-Loss‘ when you go see the Fox Searchlight independent film ‘Juno‘ in theaters.

‘Juno‘, the award-winning film that stars young actors Ellen Page (X-Men: The Last Stand) and Michael Cera (Superbad), had a limited release in the US on December 5th, but will release in almost 100 major cities in the US, Canada, and England by January 4, 2008.

Although I can’t confirm if the ‘Stop-Loss‘ trailer will be shown in every city, you can click here to find out when ‘Juno‘ is coming to your city and check your local listings to get the times. You can learn more about the new movie ‘Juno‘ on it’s official site.

I also just learned that ‘Stop-Loss‘ now has added a release date for Denmark. Here are all of the current theatrical release dates for the film around the world:

• USA - March 28, 2008
• UK - April 11, 2008
• France - May 7, 2008
• Germany - June 19, 2008
• Denmark - June 20, 2008

You can click here to check out the official site for ‘Stop-Loss‘. And don’t forget about the Sound Off section of the site allows you to interact with director Kimberly Peirce and with the soldiers and military wives who have made videos of their lives. The production team’s major goal is to get the public more connected with the troops, and in the future will be raising money for soldiers.

Also, keep your eyes open for an exciting new feature of the site where they plan to allow users to blog directly with stars Ryan Phillippe, Joe Gordon-Levitt, Abbie Cornish, and our very own Channing Tatum.

UPDATE: You can also check out the trailer for ‘Stop-Loss‘ in theaters before watching Johnny Depp’s new musical thriller ‘Sweeney Todd’.

NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum’s TV Schedule in the US and the UK

Below you can find dates, times, and channels of upcoming airings of Channing Tatum’s movies and shows on TV in the US and the UK. This coming week you can try to catch Channing’s movies ‘CSI:Miami‘ and ‘Coach Carter‘ in the US and ‘Step Up‘ and ‘She’s the Man‘ in the UK.

Next US TV Airings:

Mon. Dec. 24	6:00 PM	AETV	CSI: Miami	Pro Per	#3.2
Thur. Dec. 27	8:00 PM	FX	Coach Carter
Thur. Dec. 27	11:00 PM	FX	Coach Carter

She’s The Man

Starting: 11:50 on Friday 28th December. Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Showing on Sky Movies Comedy.

She’s The Man

Starting: 18:00 on Friday 28th December. Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Showing on Sky Movies Comedy.

Step Up

Starting: 10:05 on Wednesday 2nd January. Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Showing on Sky Movies Family.

Step Up

Starting: 16:45 on Wednesday 2nd January. Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Showing on Sky Movies Family.

She’s The Man

Starting: 16:30 on Thursday 3rd January. Duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes
Showing on Sky Movies Comedy.

She’s The Man

Starting: 21:30 on Thursday 3rd January. Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Showing on Sky Movies Comedy.

Want to know more Channing Tatum movies and TV shows that will be playing in the US and the UK? Click here to get dates, times, and channels.

REMINDER: Channing Tatum’s ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints’ (aka ‘Santos e Demônios’) Premieres in Brazil

I just wanted remind all CTU readers in Brazil about the theatrical release of Channing Tatum’s award-winning film ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints’ in your country.

The film is called ‘Santos e Demônios’ in Brazil, and the company California Filmes is distributing the movie that was released in theaters on December 21st.

The film is currently showing in limited release at two different theaters (Bristol and Unibanco Arteplex Frei Caneca) in São Paulo, Brazil. Check out the Brazilian website Guia de Semana to get showtimes.

Make sure to go watch the movie to see for yourself why Channing won the Best Actor award at the Gijón International Film Festival and was nominated for Independent Spirit and Gotham Awards for his powerful portrayal of the real-life character Antonio.

Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Spotlight

In an effort to help CTU readers learn more about each other, once a month I profile one special Channing Tatum fan on the blog and give them the “Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Spotlight” award.

I am excited to announce that this month’s Channing Tatum Unwrapped Fab Fan Spotlight is dedicated to Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Marlie from New York City, New York. Here is what you should know about Marlie :

Name and CBox Nicknames:
Marlie, Marli, Marlz or Martian

City:
Bronx

State:
New York

Age:
hmm…How old do I look? I am 8 years younger than Chan.

Social Networking Site Profiles:
[MySpace Profile]

Favorite Channing Tatum Picture and Why?:
As all of you may know, choosing just one favorite Channing picture is tough, but a decision has to be made and I chose this picture as one of my favorites. What I like most about this picture are his eyes. He has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen on a person. They are nice. green. and sparkly with the power to paralyze me lol!

Favorite Channing Tatum Movie and Why?:
OK another toughie but I will have to go with ‘She’s the Man‘. I enjoyed watching him in a comedy and I thought this movie was ridiculously funny.

Favorite Channing Tatum Scene and Why?:
All of them. As long as he is standing there breathing and talking it’s all fine with me LOL. Actually one of my favorite scenes is a deleted scene from ‘She’s The Man‘. If anyone has seen the deleted scenes it is the one where Duke and Viola are dancing at the debutante ball and Duke asked Viola if she ever checked out his butt (or something like that).

Favorite Channing Tatum Movie Quote and Why?:
“Do you like cheese?” It’s funny and it’s random and if you know me you will know I love anything random, (which is why I get along with CTU Reader Ayshi so well) and the reason I asked the toothpaste question hahaha (oops…yes that was me) although that was seriously a joke…maybe.

Favorite Upcoming Channing Tatum Movie and Why?:
Hmm….. ‘Stop-Loss‘ because I want to see Chan cry lol. Not that I am mean or anything I just think it’s cute. I melt and I feel like giving him a big ol’ hug.

Have you ever met Channing?:
*clears throat* why yes I have *smiles* …..well I didn’t exactly “Meet” him since I couldn’t talk to him (we can thank Terrance Howard’s body guard for that) but I did get to see him along with CTU readers Kerline and Alex when he was here in New York filming ‘Fighting’. I was about two steps away from him (after Kerline managed to literally drag me across the street so we could approach him) and just as Kerline opened her mouth to call out his name and get his attention….. the body guard told us to move. *rolls eyes*. Anyways it doesn’t matter because just being close to him was good enough for me. Kerline did manage (some how) to record him on my video camera, but I still need to figure out how to get that on the computer. That day was definitely unforgettable. I got to hang out for six hours with Alex and Kerline while we all watched Channing filming from across the street. XD

Why are you a Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan?:
From what I can tell Channing is really genuine and sweet. Everyone who has met him has nothing but amazing things to say about him. He is an amazing actor that needs all our support. From the moment I came to this site back in May and from the very first time I joined the Cbox in June I haven’t been able to separate myself from this blog. I have met so many great people here thanks to Chan (and Quishe for making this amazing site). We are all truly a family here. I love how most of us are very protective of each other and Chan. We will turn into ferocious beasts when we need to. LOL JK… that is only Naz.

Why does Channing Tatum Unwrapped think that this fan belongs in the Fab Fan Spotlight?
I was lucky enough to meet Marlie in person with her cousin Kerline and friend Jenny when I visited New York recently. Even prior to my trip I knew that she was one of the sweetest and most genuine people that I have ever met. She and I have become great friends through this blog, and I truly appreciate it when she helps me by monitoring the CBox and making sure users are following the rules when on it. Marlie has become an irreplaceable fixture at CTU, not only because she is such a huge fan of Channing’s, but also because she has really embraced what CTU is all about. When I created this blog, I set out to create a community where Channing’s fans could come, hang out, make friends, and have fun. Marlie not only reads the site religiously to keep up with Channing’s where-abouts, but she has made a ton of friends around the world and stays connected with them through the site. Marlie is 100% what CTU is all about and totally deserves this spotlight!

Thanks Marlie for letting me profile you and for taking the time to share all of your info with the other readers!

As the subject of the Fab Fan Spotlight, "font-weight:bold;color:rgb(204, 0, 0);">Marlie is able to pick a custom-made poster of Channing Tatum courtesy of Channing Tatum Unwrapped! Marlie’s Fab Fan Spotlight prize will be sent to her.

Finally, Marlie ’s Fab Fan Spotlight profile will be added on the right side of the blog so other Channing Fans can learn about her from any page on the site. Feel free to send your congrats to Marlie in the comments on this entry!

Do you want to be in the Fab Fan Spotlight? I will choose and interview readers who have contributed to the Channing Tatum Unwrapped and the Channing Tatum fan community by submitting Pictures of the Week, Videos of the Week, Comments, Graphics, etc. and/or by having groups, profiles, or sites that they made for Channing and his fans. I am currently choosing the next Fab Fan Spotlighter, so be on the lookout for an email from me requesting an interview and the next FFS might just be you!

New Pictures of Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan on the Set of Her Film ‘The Jerk Theory’

Budding actress and Fabulous Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan fan Marci from Utah was recently lucky enough to work as an extra with Channing Tatum’s girlfriend Jenna Dewan on the set of her new film ‘The Jerk Theory‘.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, she also got an opportunity to meet Channing when he recently spent time with Jenna on the Utah set of the film.

Here’s what Marci had to say about her encounter with the two extremely fan-friendly stars:

It was way awesome that I got to meet Channing and Jenna, they are both WAY nice! I was way excited and had to tell everyone when I got home, lol. It was awesome that I got to be a part of a movie that Jenna is in. The greatest thing is that in their free time on set, they spent time talking to some of their fans (including me :]) When I saw Channing in the hall I said hi to him, and we started talking a bit, and I asked for a pic. It was a great experience

- Marci

Here’s some more great photos of Marci with Chan and Jenna and Chan taking pics with other lucky fans on the set of ‘The Jerk Theory‘ in November:

NEWS FLASH: New ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ Production Video with Robert Hoffman, Briana Evigan, Cassie, Director Jon Chu and Choregrapher Jamal Sims

‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ has released another new behind-the scenes production video where they answer questions submitted by fans on their official site.

Today’s fan question is for leads Robert Hoffman, Briana Evigan and Cassie, director Jon Chu, and main choreographer Jamal Sims from ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’.

It seems that I may have been a little psychic when I posted a trivia question on Monday asking what Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s favorite dance movies are. In the newest production video we get to learn from the cast and crew of the highly-anticipated sequel what dance movies are their favs.

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Nick from Los Angeles, California had the following question…

“What’s your favorite dance movie?”

In this 13th production diary for STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, Robert Hoffman, Briana Evigan and the rest of the cast and crew talk about their favorite dance movies. You can click here to check it out or you can play the video below:

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Here are the current release dates for ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ around the world:

• USA – February 14, 2008
• Czech Republic – February 14, 2008
• UK – February 15, 2008
• Belguim - February 20, 2008
• Netherlands – February 21, 2008
• Russia - February 28, 2008
• Italy - March 2008 (Called ‘A Strada per il Successo’ in Italy)
• Slovakia – March 18, 2008
• France – April 23, 2008
• Germany – April 24, 2008

Rob Hoffman and Briana Evigan are playing the leads in the film and Channing Tatum has an awesome dance cameo in the movie as well. You can CLICK HERE to watch all of them in the new trailer!!!

And just in case you missed it, ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’ also just announced the Grand Prize winner for the Sing on the Soundtrack Contest. Female vocalist Montana has now won a master recording for the soundtrack and film, an appearance in a music video and/or a recording contract. Congrats to Montana!!!

CTU NEWS: Are You Channing Tatum’s Biggest Fan?

It’s hard to believe, but in less than 2 weeks (January 1, 2008 to be exact) it will be the one year anniversary of Channing Tatum Unwrapped, what I affectionately call “The Little Blog That Could”.

Since 2007 has been such an incredible year for the site and 2008 will be such a huge year for Channing with no less than four movies coming out, I figured we needed to ring in the year with a bang!!!

I want to give everyone a heads up that on January 1, 2008 I will announce the next major contest for all of Channing Tatum’s Fabulous Fans. Make sure to visit the site New Year’s Day so you can learn about and enter a contest like you’ve never seen before on this on site. It’s so BIG that I’m only going to do it once a year.

What is this new contest you ask? Well, I can’t give away too much yet, but here’s one question I have for you….

NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum and ‘Fighting’ Featured on ComingSoon.net

ComingSoon.net just posted one of the most in depth articles to date on Channing’s upcoming film ‘Fighting‘ with Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard and his ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints‘ director Dito Montiel.

In the article (which has two awesome new high quality pictures of Channing on set filming), we get a few more details on what the movie is about, and we get to hear how Dito and Terrence feel about the talent Channing displayed both in ‘Guide‘ and in this new film. Terrence even mentions that he felt Chan deserved an Oscar nod for his role as Antonio in ‘Guide‘.

We also learn why Channing loves doing films with Dito, how Channing trained for the physically and mentally demanding role, how he chooses to do his own fight scenes (to the detriment of his poor nose) instead of using stunt doubles, and about the on set camaraderie Chan clearly shares with Terrence and Dito, a strong camaraderie that I was lucky enough to witness first hand.

Without further ado, here’s ComingSoon.net’s new article on Chan and ‘Fighting‘…

Fighting at Night in New York

Source: Max Evry

December 17, 2007

“Yes, there’s a girl that comes between Channing and Terrence - I don’t want to give anything away. This movie is interesting because, unlike a traditional fight film where you know that your hero is going to win, the added component is that they are betting money on these fights and that influences the outcome. Are people throwing fights at various times? Which way the characters are betting is relevant to the outcome. Sometimes, losing might actually be the better outcome for our characters. Everything is a hustle in this movie - you never know who’s telling the truth.” – Kevin Misher, producer of Fighting.

New York City, October 19th, 2007. 10:13pm…

When Dito Montiel was 11 years old, he used to sell fresh-squeezed orange juice and peanuts on the corner of 43rd and 7th Ave. Twenty-seven years later he’s still on a corner of the teeming asphalt jungle that is New York trying to make a living. From an outsider’s perspective it would seem he has only progressed a few blocks, to 54th and 7th, but tonight he is directing a crew of dozens of actors and technicians who have taken over this block to film a major motion picture for Universal.

Fighting will be Montiel’s second time at bat, after the autobiographical indie pic A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which was in itself based on an autobiographical novel of the same name. In that movie the main character was named Dito. Earlier this year he also came out with his first solo album. The album was called Dito Montiel. In other words, Mr. Montiel himself is typically at the center of his work. So where can we find this modern day renaissance man in a film about underground street fighting?

“It was something they were talking about making over at Universal,” says the director. “At first it sounded kinda horrible, you know, ‘Everybody’s broke but they have Hummers,’ and it’s like ‘Oh no, I don’t know if that sounds good to me.’ But then something sounded exciting about the idea of two people meeting who should find each other. New York City seemed a really good place for it.”

The “two people who find each other” in Fighting are Sean and Harvey, played by Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard. According to producer Kevin Misher, Channing plays “a tough kid who learned wrestling in high school. His character has a lot of rage inside him and he gets in fights on the street. He gets absorbed into this underground fight world. Terrence Howard is looking to make a buck off of Channing’s character. He’s a tortured soul, but he’s likeable. In the end, they have a mentor/protégé relationship, which actually goes both ways. Until the end of the film, Terrence’s character will do anything to make a dollar – including selling out this kid.”

After a giant cube-shaped light is hung from a three-story crane above the 7th Ave location and an Angel Aerial truck sprays down the street where tonight’s scene will be shot, Channing and Terrence begin. They’re shooting a scene early in the picture after Harvey has already seen Sean get in a scuffle while trying to sell fake iPods and “Harry Potter” books. They are walking down the street, the young Tatum carrying a box while Howard tells him that he shouldn’t be fighting and not getting paid for it. After crossing the street, they spot a truck carrying a large mirror on its side and they stop and look at themselves in it.

“You’re a gladiator. When I look at you that’s exactly what I see: a gladiator,” says Howard, carrying himself like a would-be Svengali, albeit a mellow one.

Just then something odd happens. An elderly gentleman wearing a homemade Spider-Man outfit and a sailor’s cap runs through the shot. This isn’t some wayward New Yorker who’s managed to cut through the dozen or so Production Assistants stationed on every corner for several blocks. He has been woven into the scene by Montiel. The extra showed up on the set wearing the costume without any prompting from the production, and rather than being sent home (or to a nearby mental health clinic), he is being used as texture. It seems Fighting is merely a canvas for Montiel the filmmaker to utilize the quirky after hours denizens of New York on his palette.

“Someone shows up in a Spider-Man outfit they’re in my movie,” explains a gleeful Dito, “I’m not sayin’ no. When we were looking for locations we were at Gray’s Papaya one night and some guy walked up dressed as Superman, for real. Just came in and sat down. Someone goes ‘can’t put that in, no one will believe it.’ I said,”no, you can, you just have to hire HIM.’ You just can’t put that outfit on somebody, this guy actually wears Superman outfits. Some guy showed up yesterday in a scuba diving mask, I said ‘did you guys put that on him?’ They said, ‘No,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, okay then.
‘

“No one’s gonna tell me not to play. They can try and they’ll learn really quick that they can’t. Makin’ movies is fun, watching them is fun and exciting and every bit of it should always be like that. I hate nothing more than Hollywood jokes, when someone says ‘Hey, didn’t we all get into this to be mediocre?’ I wanna take a f**kin’ gun and blow their f**kin’ head off for saying it on the set of a movie. So every day if Spider-Man shows up I throw him in and that’s what colors the movie and that’s what colors the world I like to live in.”

Taking such an experimental, on-the-fly approach to filmmaking is somewhat risky, but Montiel’s producer appeared very supportive. Misher said, “This is a great commercial movie and Dito attracts great actors like Channing and Terrence. I’m sure there will be weird things that occur that aren’t quite linear that will make the film very interesting. Dito is having a lot of fun making this film. It’s a big step up for him and he’s equal to the task. It’s exciting to watch a filmmaker like him as he creates ‘the unexpected’.”

For the star of the film, Channing Tatum, who made a splash last year in the surprise hit Step Up, this is not his first encounter with the unexpected created by Montiel, as he starred in the director’s previous movie “Saints”. While Montiel spent a great deal of time monitoring Tatum on that first film, on this one they appear to have developed both a shorthand and mutual respect for each other.

“I get the way Dito writes,” says Tatum. “I think he likes characters talking about nothing but having the feeling of a scene underneath it. That is something that a lot of directors and actors forget – you don’t have to spell it out. It’s about going in the opposite direction of what’s obvious. He’ll say, ‘We’re not talking about anything.’ If a guy and a girl are sitting at a restaurant, he’ll say, ‘We can tell you like each other by you two sitting there. If you wanna fall in love, go the opposite way.’ It’s crazy, but it somehow translates. It’s all about opposites.”

“Channing is really blowing me away with how good he is,” Montiel says. “Every time I meet Channing again I’m not a Channing Tatum fan until I start working with him, then I’m a Channing Tatum fan again. He’s really good. Before we made the movie I was like, ‘You just never know… it’s a thin line between Marlon Brando and Dolph Lundgren.’”

After delving deeper into the raison d’etre for a movie called Fighting it’s not hard to imagine Lundgren or Norris or Van Damme. More specifically, the fighting of the title is Mixed Martial Arts, as popularized in the Ultimate Fighting Championships currently reaching millions on cable and pay TV. MMA is a blend of both the striking techniques of kickboxing and the grappling techniques of wrestling. It’s essentially a no-holds-barred free-for-all that can be brutal and often bloody. Tatum elaborated on what his character is responsible for carrying out, and likewise Tatum as he is doing all his own stunts.

“I’m playing the character like he’s a nice kid from the South, who comes up to New York and needs to make some money. And he meets a guy who tells him he can make him some money. And my character is desperate. From there, it spirals and goes into a crazy, dark world of fighting. It’s pretty brutal. I fought with this kid Uri who’s fought at Madison Square Garden. I can’t believe I fought with him. I got hit in the nose a few times – it was broken and bleeding. It was good, though. At the end of the day, you feel like youR