Channing Tatum Project Update: ‘Battle in Seattle’, ‘Public Enemies’, ‘G.I. Joe’ and More…

There’s been a lot of different things going on with Channing Tatum’s movies lately, so I thought that I would give fans a quick update.

Battle in Seattle

Channing’s upcoming drama ‘Battle In Seattle‘, where he plays a riot cop by the name of Johnson, was the talk of the Democratic National Convention yesterday when it was shown at the Impact Film Festival. The screening was held at at the Starz Film Room and was only open to the delegates at the Denver, Colorado-based political convention. Attendees were also able to take part in a Q&A with director Stuart Townsend and actress Charlize Theron after the movie.

Star-studded premieres are planned for BIS in mid- to late September in L.A., New York., and Sacramento. The movie will then premiere in the following growing list of cites on the dates listed below.

• September 19, 2008 - New York, San Rafael, San Fransisco, Minneapolis, and Seattle
• September 24, 2008 - Sacramento
• September 26, 2008 - Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.
• October 3, 2008- Plano, Philidephia, and Santa Barbara

Fans can CLICK HERE to buy tickets. If the movie is not currently scheduled to show in your city, make sure to keep demanding it. Rumor has it that if a city gets 200 demands, then the producers at Redwood Palms Pictures will try to bring the film to your city too.

The ‘Battle In Seattle‘ marketing team has been in high gear for a while and is currently adding fans to their update list. Its easy to join. All you have to do is e-mail their private account at youcontroltheworld@yahoo.com and put “Battle In Seattle” in the subject line. You don’t need to put any message in the body of the e-mail. Once they get your e-mail they will keep you up to date on all of ‘Battle In Seattle’s progress.

Based on one of the most incendiary political uprisings in a generation, ‘Battle In Seattle‘ takes an in-depth look at the five days that rocked the world in 1999 as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in protest on the World Trade Organization. What began as a peaceful protest intended to stop the WTO talks quickly escalated into a full-scale riot and eventual State of Emergency that squared off the protesters against the Seattle Police Department and the National Guard.

Fans can CLICK HERE to download the free trailer from ITunes.

Public Enemies

A journalist who played as as extra in Channing Tatum’s 2009 drama ‘Public Enemies‘, where Chan plays the doomed 1930’s bank robber Pretty Boy Floyd, recently gave us some new info on the release of the film.

It appears that there has been an official informational release sent to theaters from the studio to remind theater owners to reserve space next summer for the film. It confirms that the film will be released July 1, 2009. The reporter was told by inside sources that even though the film is still in the midst of editing, there will be enough cleaned up and pieced together footage for theater preview trailers to be ready for the Christmas holiday movie releases.

An adaptation of Brian Burrough’s book “Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-43,” Channing’s film centers on the government’s attempt to stop John Dillinger and his gang. The star-studded cast also includes Johnny Depp who plays Dillinger and Christian Bale portrays the famed FBI agent Melvin Purvis.

G. I. Joe: Rise of Cobra

Channing Tatum will play the lead role of Duke Hauser in what MTV has declared to be one of the most anticipated movies for summer of 2009, and I know that fans are definitely looking forward to seeing Chan flex his super hero chops in the big-budget, action film ‘G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra‘.

They wrapped filming in on the movie in the Czech Republic in June and not too long after one of the crew members posted his impressions of Channing one of the IMDB messages boards. If you want to get an idea of what it’s like to work with Channing on set, read below…

“So I did a little work on GI Joe, and I have to say it was really refreshing just how cool and unassuming Channing was. When you work with actors often, you come to expect a certain degree of self-absorption. They’re just a different breed in general–partially because they live in very different realities than the rest of the world. Channing was ALWAYS cool. He seemed like someone who knew he was in a fortunate position. He never dragged his feet coming to set, he insisted on taking care of himself, and usually had a smile on his face. Ray Park was the same way … absolutely gifted martial artist, and completely humble. For the sake of these two guys, I hope the movie does really well, as we need more personalities like theirs in the A-list.”

‘G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra‘ revolves around a European-based military unit known as Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity (G.I.J.O.E.), which is a hi-tech, international force of special operatives that takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.’G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra‘ is currently scheduled to hit US theaters on August 7th, 2009.

Pinkville

Channing was scheduled to start filming Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone’s ‘Pinkville‘ last November until the production was derailed by the writer’s strike. I’m now hearing from multiple sources that the film may be back on sooner rather than later. Right now, this is just rumor, but if it turns out to be true, they will most likely have to recast some roles depending on which actors are available.

‘Pinkville‘ is a drama about the investigation of the tragic 1968 My Lai massacre that occurred during the Vietnam war. Channing was supposed to play real-life hero Hugh Thompson, a helicopter pilot who, upon realizing what was happening below, put a stop to the killing by placing his craft between gunmen and the few villagers who were left, and telling his two shipmates to fire on the soldiers if they shot any more people. They airlifted the survivors and reported the carnage to superiors.

What’s Next for Channing Tatum

Channing is scheduled to start filming his romantic drama ‘Dear John‘ next month in South Carolina, his movie ‘Fighting‘ will be released in January 2009, and his movie ‘Parkour‘ will start filming early next year. Fans can CLICK HERE to get a complete list of Channing’s past, current, and future films and watch their trailers.

NEWS FLASH: Director Chosen for Channing Tatum’s ‘Parkour’

As I mentioned way back in February 2007, New Line Cinema decided to fast-track an untitled action film starring Channing Tatum as an undercover policeman.

The story centers on a renegade New York City cop (played by Channing) who must infiltrate the underground world of free running, known as Parkour, to bust a seemingly unstoppable gang of bank robbers. For those who don’t know, Parkour is an extraordinarily athletic sport/hobby where a person has to traverse a landscape and obstacles by leaping and bounding around fearlessly, so it’s a role that’s right up Chan’s alley.

Variety is now saying that New Line is planning start production early next year with new movie director Richie Smyth. Smyth directed four music videos off U2’s most recent album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” and is an avid extreme sports practitioner. To audition for the job, he canceled a trip in which he was to jump out of a helicopter at the top of a mountain in Alaska and snowboard to the bottom.

‘Parkour‘ was written by Kevin Lund and T.J. Scott and will be produced by Temple Hill partners Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.

NEWS FLASH: New Release Date for Channing Tatum’s ‘Fighting’

Channing Tatum’s underground street fighting drama ‘Fighting‘ was initially scheduled to release on September 26, 2008. I’m now hearing from 2 different sources that the film’s release date has been pushed out to some time in 2009. I also recently heard that they have possibly have been doing some re-shoots in the past few weeks in the New York area. All of which is leading me to believe that the release date push is accurate and we’re going to have to wait a little longer to see the film.

In ‘Fighting‘, Channing Tatum will play Shawn MacArthur, a New York counterfeit merchandise salesman (aka ticket scalper) whose life is changed after a chance encounter with veteran underground street-fighting coach, Harvey Boarden, played by Terrence Howard.

A few weeks back, the production had a test screening and fans can CLICK HERE to check out the glowing reviews the screeners gave Channing’s performance in the film.

You can also check out an interview Channing Tatum did on the set of the film last fall:

Although we may have to wait a little longer to see Chan in ‘Fighting‘, fans can look forward to the limited release of his film ‘Battle in Seattle‘ on September 19, 2008 and Chan will also begin filming his romantic drama ‘Dear John‘ in mid-September.

Stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped to get all of the lastest news on all of Channing Tatum’s projects!!!

NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum’s ‘Dear John’ to Film in South Carolina

It all started last year with the announcement that Channing Tatum was cast in the lead role and for a while, that’s all we knew about his romantic drama ‘Dear John‘. For most fans, that was enough to get us hooked, but we all know that you need more than just one actor to make a movie (even if it’s Channing Tatum).

Recently, they announced a director (Lasse Hallstrom). Then, they announced the casting directors (Joanna Colbert and Richard Mento).

Now, thanks to Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Brandi, I can let you all know exactly where they will be filming this fall. OK maybe not exactly, but close enough…

The South Carolina Department of Commerce just announced last Wednesday that ‘Dear John‘ is one of two new films that has been approved to begin filming in South Carolina in 2008.

‘Dear John‘ is based on the book written by Nicholas Sparks, and is a New Line studios production with Production Designer Sarah Knowles. New Line studios and Knowles both worked on ‘The Notebook,’ which was filmed in South Carolina in 2003.

The film will be shot in multiple locations along the South Carolina coast. Last I heard, they are supposed to start filming in mid-September, but the production company is still finalizing the exact schedule.

‘Dear John‘ is set to hit theaters some time in 2009. For those who don’t know, it is a story of a soldier who falls in love with a conservative college girl who he plans to marry, but time and distance take their toll on the fledging relationship.

One of many things we don’t know about this film yet is who is going to play the female lead. If you were the casting directors, who would be you choose (other than yourself) to play Channing’s love interest? Fans can leave a comment on this post to share your choice(s).

Stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped, and (as always) I’ll keep you posted on any new developments with the film.

Source: WISTV.com

NEWS FLASH: Casting Directors Chosen for Channing Tatum’s ‘Dear John’

We all happily learned last year that Channing Tatum was going to play the title role in the 2009 romantic drama ‘Dear John‘, which is adapted from a popular Nicholas Sparks book by the same name.

In May 2008, we also found out that accomplished director Lasse Hallström was chosen to helm the film.

The movie is currently in the pre-production phase, and as we get closer to the planned mid-September start of filming, more and more details are going come out about the production.

The biggest question that most fans have is who is going to play the female lead of Savannah opposite Channing’s John. We don’t have that answer yet, but we are one step closer to finding out who will play the part.

I found an article today that says the production team has now chosen the casting directors for the film. Joanna Colbert and Richard Mento who coincidentally also casted Channing Tatum’s ‘Step Up and ‘Step Up 2: The Streets‘, are now attached to cast ‘Dear John‘, a drama about a young soldier (John) who falls in love with a quiet college student (Savannah) while home on leave.

Stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped, and I’ll keep you posted on any new developments with the film’s casting.

Source: Backstage

New Photos of Channing Tatum Arriving at LAX

I recently posted an article about Channing Tatum’s highly-anticipated return home from Prague after he completed the filming of his big-budget movie ‘G.I. Joe‘ in the Czech Republic. Chan even gave an impromptu interview to the awaiting paparazzi, and fans can CLICK HERE to read all about it.

As an extra added treat, I just found some new photos of Chan that were taken at just about the same time right after he arrived at LAX airport in Los Angeles, California on June 14, 2008. Enjoy!!!

Note to self…start hanging out at LAX more. ;-D

Where in the World is Channing Tatum?

You’ll have to bare with me, because the title of today’s post is a bit misleading. It might actually be more appropriate for me to call it “Where in the World IS’NT Channing Tatum?”.

Thanks to JustJared.com we have photos of Johnny Depp on one of the last days of filming for Channing Tatum’s real-life crime drama ‘Public Enemies‘. You can CLICK HERE to check out even more pics. As I previously posted, Channing filmed his role as Pretty Boy Floyd way back in May before he went to Prague to complete ‘G.I. Joe‘.

Even though Chan was a part of the production, over the past weekend I know for sure that he WAS NOT at the ‘Public Enemies‘ wrap party that was held at Chicago’s West Loop hot spot Bon V.. Since Chan just returned home after wrapping his 2009 film ‘G.I. Joe‘ in the Czech Republic, he chose to get some much needed rest instead of attending the party.

Chan was in good company…Johnny Depp and Christian Bale weren’t able to make the soirée either, but co-stars Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, and Marion Cotillard and director Michael Mann did make appearances. Although there’s rumors they may have a little more filming, we can pretty much say that ‘Public Enemies is yet another film in the proverbial can and is set for a July 1, 2009 theatrical release.

Another place where I’m fairly certain you COULD NOT find Channing this past weekend was last night’s private screening of his upcoming drama ‘Battle in Seattle‘. The exclusive screening was held at the Malibu Theater in Malibu, California and was hosted by W Magazine.

Although you may not have been able to find Chan, the party was attended by celebrities like Alexis Bledel, Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Dita Von Teese, Jason Bateman, Camila Alves, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Carpenter and Gabrielle Reece.

‘Battle in Seattle‘ is currently scheduled for a limited release in the US on September 19, 2008, so if you want it to show in your city, don’t forget to demand it!

Since this post was a bit of a tease, thanks to my extremely reliable inside sources I can let you all know where Chan WILL be in the coming months.

Because of the possible actor’s strike, our favorite actor may try to “go ghost” (aka Chan’s term for taking a break and going under the radar) this summer since he’s had such a jam-packed filming schedule, and I have been able to confirm that he will start filming his romantic drama ‘Dear John‘ in mid-September (a film I personally can’t wait to see).

Let this be a motivator to all of Chan’s Fabulous Fans around the world…If we want to see Channing this summer, it’s important that we all continue to vote for him everyday at TeenChoiceAwards.com.

If he wins When he wins, he may just have to come out of hiding long enough to make an appearance on the TCA stage in August, so keep those votes coming!!! ;-D

FIRST LOOK: New ‘G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra’ Posters Featuring Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, and Ray Park

Thanks to the Netherlands movie site Film1.nl we now have a first look at an awesome new ‘G.I. Joe‘ poster that features Channing Tatum in his role as Duke Hauser.

They took a photo of the poster at the Cinema EXPO International in Amsterdam today. It’s a conference where people in the film industry can preview important upcoming cinema releases for the European market.

More importantly, the poster also reveals for the first time the full title of the movie, which is (drumroll please)…

Here’s a couple more posters the site found at the conference of Sienna Miller as The Baroness and Ray Park as Snake Eyes:

Toy company Hasbro has reserved the website address http://www.GIJoeRiseofCobra.com/, so stay tuned for what I’m sure will be a fully interactive site in the coming months.

Toy company Hasbro has reserved the website address http://www.GIJoeRiseofCobra.com/, so stay tuned for what I’m sure will be a fully interactive site in the coming months.

For those who don’t know, ‘G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra‘ revolves around a European-based military unit known as Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity (G.I.J.O.E.), which is a hi-tech, international force of special operatives that takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.

In addition to Channing, the Stephen Sommers-directed film also stars Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Arnold Vosloo and Christopher Eccleston and just wrapped filming in Prague right before Father’s Day.

‘G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra‘ is currently scheduled to hit US theaters on August 7th, 2009. You can CLICK HERE to get the current list of international release dates for the film.

NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum’s ‘G.I. Joe’ Holds Wrap Party at Prague’s Dancing House

Since Channing Tatum mentioned in the video he sent us recently that his movie ‘G.I. Joe‘ would be done filming very soon in the Czech Republic city of Prague, a CTU reader asked me today if he was back home yet, and the answer to that is YES!!!

After being gone for approximately five weeks to film his Pretty Boy Floyd role in Johnny Depp’s ‘Public Enemies‘ in Madison, Wisconsin and his Duke Hauser role in ‘G.I. Joe‘ in Prague, Channing Tatum was spotted in California arriving at Los Angeles Airport this past Saturday (June 14, 2008) and is finally back home. Channing wasn’t able to answer any questions regarding his upcoming movie ‘G.I. Joe‘ for the inquiring reporters. He just said “It is Top Secret,” and that he enjoyed working on the film.

When they asked if he was flattered by the fact that many people are comparing him to Brad Pitt, Channing shyly told reporters that Brad was “Way Bigger than Me, way Bigger”. And my reply to that is…Just give it time Mr. Tatum. Just give it time. (Thanks Cal for the scoop!)

We also have some details on where Channing was right before he headed back home…

The extremely interesting building you see on this post is the famed Prague Dancing House. What does that have to do with Channing Tatum? Well, the deck of the Dancing House recently played host to the ‘G.I. Joe‘ film production wrap party.

DJ THC Electra posted on his music blog today that the film had an “all night blow out bonanza” where he, DJ Siroko, and DJ House C played from 8pm to 5am and everyone had a blast.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the famous location:

“The Dancing House (Czech: Tančící dům) is the nickname given to an office building in downtown Prague. It was designed by Croatian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunić in co-operation with Canadian architect Frank Gehry on a vacant riverfront plot (where the previous building had been destroyed during the Bombing of Prague in 1945). The construction started in 1994 and was finished in 1996.

The very non-traditional design was controversial at the time. Czech president Václav Havel, who lived for decades next to the site, had supported it, hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity.

Originally named Fred and Ginger (after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - the house vaguely resembles a pair of dancers) the house stands out among the Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous.

On the roof is a French restaurant with magnificent views of the city. The building’s other tenants include several multinational firms.”

We can’t all be in Prague, but thanks to the internet, you can pretend by taking a look at the gorgeous 360 panaramic view from the roof of the Dancing House.

Finally, DJ THC Electra also posted three of the songs from his set at the party on his site. You can listen to all of them below to hear some of the songs Channing, the cast, and crew may have heard that night. Enjoy!!!

• MP3: Common - A New Way of Thinking (Disco White Label mix)
• MP3: Beatles - Oh Yoko (Pocketknife Mix) (Artist’s Myspace Page)
• MP3: Estelle - American Boy (Nadastrom Mix) (Artist’s Myspace Page)

NEWS FLASH: Channing Tatum’s ‘G.I. Joe’ Showcased at 2008 Licensing International Expo

The above photo is a ground-to-ceiling-sized G.I. Joe presentation that flanked one wall of Hasbro’s booth at the recent New York-based 2008 Licensing International Expo for Toymakers, Manufacturers and Retailers. It was taken by one of the attendees of the event.

As I had previously posted, major licensing deals have already been signed and many more are underway to bring fans a wide selection of “everything G.I. JOE.” Licensees (aka companies that get permission from Hasbro to make G.I Joe themed items) will bring a number of goods to market including graphic t-shirts, boys apparel, footwear, video games, electronics, children’s books, paper goods, room décor, social expressions, bikes, skateboards, and camping and fishing gear.

From what I’ve read, Hasbro plans to release the movie line of action figures and their accessories some time in 2009, but I still have my fingers crossed that they may make an earlier appearance.

As Channing Tatum mentioned in his exclusive video message to us, the live action film is in its last week of filming at Barrandov Studios in Prague, Czech Republic. He also said that ‘G.I. Joe‘ is a big “popcorn” kind of movie, and we’ve heard others refer to it as a “tent pole” film, so I thought I would explain what that means.

For those that don’t know, “tent pole” or “popcorn” films are heavily promoted, usually large scale productions. Most are part of a franchise or potential franchise and are expected by studios to turn a profit in a short period of time. At a reported $200 million budget and with potentially 3 movies in the franchise, ‘G.I. Joe‘ most definitely qualifies.

Post-production work has already begun for the film and with just a little over a year until its August 7, 2009 theatrical release, fans are hoping we may get a trailer around Super Bowl time. I also read that Paramount may show a teaser of the film at the annual G.I. Joe convention called Joe Con 2008 at the end of this month. I’ll keep you all posted, but you can CLICK HERE to get a complete list of international release dates.

Finally, Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Lainy K. submitted the video below that was created by IGN.com and gives us a great preview of the G.I. Cast. Enjoy!

Source: PicsMcgee

RUMOR OR REEL?: First Look at Poster & Snake Eyes Action Figure for Channing Tatum’s ‘G.I. Joe’

This one’s more rumor than “reel” at this point. The awesome poster that you see on this post was actually created by a fan from the promotional photos that have been released by Channing Tatum’s upcoming big budget film ‘G.I. Joe‘.

As far as the new action figure is concerned, I found the photo below at FusedFilmBlog.com, but I have not been able to confirm if this really is an example of the action figure that will be released by the toy company Hasbro for the character Snake Eyes.

Since the first promotional photo the film released was also Snake Eyes, there may be some truth to this one. Seeing the photo below gives me hope that we all may be able to have some or all of the action figures for Channing’s character Duke in our stockings for the holidays. *fingers crossed*

Regardless, I can’t wait to see Chan’s action figure, and I’ll keep everyone posted.

‘G.I. Joe‘ is currently filming in Prague and is scheduled for an August 7, 2009 theatrical release. You can CLICK HERE to get a complete list of release dates around the world for the film.

UPDATE (6/7/2008): Thanks to CTU reader Ludracul for pointing me in the right direction on this one. The photo above is a 12-inch premium figurine that will be released by the specialty top company Sideshow Collectibles, a leader in the manufacturing of licensed and proprietary high-end toys.

In February, Sideshow signed a licensing agreement with Hasbro, Inc. to create a new line of 12-inch figures based on characters from the ‘G.I. JOE VS. COBRA’ Universe. From the press release that I found, it’s highly possible they may also be creating collectibles for the ‘G.I. Joe‘ movie too.

Sideshow’s line of G.I. JOE 12-inch figures will offer highly detailed, mixed-medium versions of the heroic G.I. JOE and villainous Cobra characters. In addition to the regular action figures that Hasbro will release for the film at some point, the specialty figures from Sideshow are expected to release beginning in 3rd Quarter 2008, with retail prices starting at $79.99.

As the famed G.I. Joe public service announcements or PSA’s always say…”And now you know and knowing is half the battle”.

Channing Tatum Pictures of the Week: Fabulous Fan Drawings

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

Today’s Pictures of the Week were submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Brad from Atlanta, Georgia who has consistently created the most beautiful original artwork for Channing Tatum Unwrapped readers to use and enjoy.

The original photos for today’s drawings come from a photoshoot that was included in a 2006 issue of Elle magazine, Channing’s appearance at the recent ‘Iron Man’ premiere, his 2009 live-action film ‘G.I. Joe‘, and his soon-to-be-released drama ‘Battle in Seattle‘.

Here are Brad’s most recent works of art with the original photos he used to create them:

As always, I want to thank Brad for creating and sharing these beautiful drawings with all of us. You can CLICK HERE to see a slideshow with all of the artwork that Brad has been sending to CTU over the last few months.

Channing Tatum has tons of talented fans all over the world. You can find these drawings and so much more in the Fan Art Set in the Channing Tatum Unwrapped photo gallery.

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 us to consider, send the picture or a link to the picture to potw@channingtatumunwrapped.com and tell us why you like it. We 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 us know that too by clicking on the comments link below.

Channing Tatum Pictures of the Week: Exclusive Photos from the Prague Set of ‘G.I. Joe’

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

Today’s Pictures of the Week were submitted by Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Lainy from the Czech Republic and are exclusive pictures of two of the Prague sets for Chan’s 2009 big budget movie ‘G.I. Joe‘.

Lainy took the photos below in the Old Town (Stare Mesto) near Hastalske square and in the Karlin area near Krizik street in Prague. Not familiar with area? You can get an idea of where that is on the maps she provided below:

Here are all of the great photos that Lainy took herself and sent in to CTU for me to share with you all:

Thanks for taking and submitting the awesome photos, Lainy! Since most of us aren’t lucky enough to be in Prague right now, we can vicariously live through your pics. Fans can CLICK HERE to check out all of the other photos I have in the Channing Tatum Unwrapped Photo Gallery from the Downey, California and Prague sets of ‘‘G.I. Joe‘.

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.

CTU EXCLUSIVE: News on Channing Tatum’s Upcoming Drama ‘Fighting’

It was really exciting to get an update on Channing Tatum’s 2009 romantic drama ‘Dear John‘ this past week, but I have some equally exciting news about Channing’s upcoming film ‘Fighting‘ too. News you can only get here on CTU…

Fabulous Channing Tatum Fan Bernice wrote me the following email that is the basis for my excitement:

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First off I want to start of by saying that I love your site! I think your doing an amazing job. I want to write you a message to let you know that I saw an advanced screening of Channing’s new movie “Fighting”! He did such a great job. I also noticed that you have a photo of him from the set, your very lucky! I love love love your site! Thanks for all the updates and keeping us, all the fans up with all the news!

Sincerely ,
Bernice V.

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Inside Scoop on the Screening

If you know anything about me, then you will not be surprised that I quickly put my interviewer cap on to get the goods on the screening. Bernice was nice enough to give us the inside scoop. Here’s what Bernice had to say about the first official screening of ‘Fighting‘:

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Where and when did you watch the screening of Channing Tatum’s movie ‘Fighting’?
I saw the screening on May 7, 2008 in the city of Northridge in California at the Pacific Theater.

How did you get invited to the screening?
I went to the movies to watch “Maid of Honor”, and then I noticed a man giving out free movie tickets for advanced screenings. At first, I wasn’t really interested, but then out of nowhere he flipped over his clip board and I saw Channing’s face on the board. So my sister and I immediately said yes and that’s how it happened!

Was it a test screening? Did they ask you to give feedback about the movie afterwards?
I do believe it was a test screening, because they told the whole audience that we were the first audience in the country to watch the movie. We had to fill out the question form after the movie was over.

Did the director or any of the actors attend?
Sad to say I don’t think Channing was there! I looked for him everywhere because I know sometimes the actors do attend, but there was no sign of him or anyone else. There were a bunch of directors there, but they came in once the movie had already started, so it was hard to tell who they were.

Did they mention a target release date for the film?
They didn’t really mention a date of release. They just said that they were still in the process of finishing the film by editing it and changing a couple things depending on the response of the audience.

What did you think about Channing’s performance and about the film in general?
I think Chan did an amazing job in this film. He really committed to his role. During the fighting scenes and throughout the film you can see his determination and his desire to win. I think he did an outstanding job in his role. We haven’t seen him in a role like this until now, and I’m sure well see him in many more. He also looked very fit and well trained for the role. The film was also great. I like the story line; it was a bit original. I also like how the love story wasn’t too forced or overdone. It was just right. The atmosphere in the movie was great. Overall the movie and all of the actors were amazing!

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Peter, who went to a screening the next day at the same theater, had the following to say about the film:

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“I saw this tonight [May 8, 2008] at a pre-screening…When I found out it was directed by the guy who did “A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints”, I knew it probably wouldn’t be as run of the mill as usual. I was right. The movie has some of the most “electric” fight scenes in recent memory that literally put you on the edge of your seat…The interaction between the characters is authentic and there are little idiosyncratic things added in similar to “Saints”. It’s a great movie that I recommend to anyone who likes Underdog stories where the fight scenes are not run of the mill and straight forward.

The movie has some of the biggest crowd reactions that I’ve heard, spontaneous applause wise and there were at least 5 times when that happened. And on top of that, people were reacting to every movement in certain fight scenes, it was definitely a great movie going experience, audience participation wise.

There is one scene involving a famous martial artist that had the entire audience yelling and clapping - the ENTIRE audience. I’ve never seen people so enthused in a theater - maybe AS enthused, but never more. If they market this correctly, it could be a sleeper hit. Terrence Howard is great and Luis Guzman as well. Channing Tatum…There’s one scene where he loses it that is raw power by definition.

I was part of a focus group afterwards and when asked to raise their hands if they liked the movie, all 24 people raised their hands…”

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CTU On the Set of ‘Fighting’

From what Bernice and Peter had to say about the film, it looks like we have yet another amazing Channing Tatum performance to look forward to when ‘Fighting‘ has its theatrical release on September 26, 2008.

If you’ve been reading CTU for a while, then you already know why I’m excited about the release of this film. It’s the only movie set I have ever visited, and I got to meet Channing for the first time when he invited me to spend an unforgettable day on the New York set with him and the cast and crew of ‘Fighting‘. I can’t wait to see if the scene I watched makes it into the film. CLICK HERE if you want to read all about my day on set with Chan.

Thanks so much to Bernice for showing CTU some love and for sharing her experience with Channing’s fans around the world. As always, stay tuned to Channing Tatum Unwrapped for the latest news on Chan’s film ‘Fighting‘ (and almost everything else Channing Tatum for that matter)!

Channing Tatum Trivia Question of the Day

If you know the answer to the following Trivia Question of the Day, just add a comment to this blog entry and show the readers your Channing smarts. You will find the comments link on the bottom, right side of this post.

If you don’t know the answer, feel free to research it on this blog, online, or where ever else you can get the answer. If there is no answer in the next couple of days, I will post the answer on the blog.

Here is the question:

Channing Tatum is currently working on his latest film ‘G.I. Joe’ in the Czech Republic city of Prague where he is playing the role of Duke Hauser in the live-action adaptation. What was the film’s original name or working title?

NEWS FLASH: Lasse Hallstrom Chosen to Direct Channing Tatum’s ‘Dear John’

We are WAY past due on a ‘Dear John‘ update. It’s really been a while since we’ve heard any news from Channing Tatum’s upcoming romantic drama, so I was extremely excited to read in today’s Variety that they have now chosen a director for the film.

An Award-Winning Director

Lasse Hallstrom, the Oscar-nominated director of dramas like Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron’s ‘The Cider House Rules‘, Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape‘, and Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp’s Chocolat, has been chosen to direct Channing Tatum’s romantic drama ‘Dear John‘.

Historically, the Swedish Film and TV director has created movies that have garnered countless Oscars and Golden Globe awards and nominations. He has also directed the four following actors to an Oscar win and/or nomination: Michael Caine, Juliette Binoche, Leonardo Decaprio, and the incomparable Dame Judy Dench. Needless to say, ‘Dear John‘ and Channing are definitely in good hands.

‘Dear John‘ is one of the first high-profile films to be made since Time Warner downsized New Line Cinema and decided to fold it into the Warner Brothers studio. Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey are set to produce the film, and it’s currently being sold at Cannes.

The Cannes Film Festival or le Festival de Cannes is a private film festival that was foun