Channing Tatum May Join Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight’

Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is officially a go and could potentially add Channing Tatum to its call sheet. The actor, according to Deadline, is reportedly circling major role in the period western that begins production early next year. If Tatum’s involvement comes to fruition, he will join the previously announced Jennifer Jason Leigh (Margot at the Wedding), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), and a slew of Tarantino regulars including Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen in the film.

The Hateful Eight tells the story of a group of people trapped in a blizzard in Wyoming shortly after the Civil War. The group consists of a pair of competing bounty hunters, a Confederate soldier, and a female prisoner. At first it seemed a long shot that The Hateful Eight would reach cinemas at all after the original script was leaked, prompting legal action and Tarantino’s initial shelving of the project. The turnaround is good news for The Weinstein Company, as Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds are among the distributors’ top grossing titles and just the tip of iceberg of the long-standing relationship between Harvey Weinstein and Tarantino. The film is expected to reach theaters sometime in 2015 and will be shot on 65mm film (a first in the format for film purist Tarantino).

As of now, it is unclear what role Tatum is in contention for, however all of Tarantino’s features have expressed an eclecticism in their casting. What is clear is Tatum’s solidifying reputation as an actor. He recently starred in the smash hit 22 Jump Street, sequel to the surprisingly successful 2012 comedy opposite Jonah Hill, and lent his voice to the animated features The LEGO Movie and the recently released The Book of Life. Tatum will next be seen in Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, critically praised drama that is sparking awards buzz for Tatum and his about-face dramatic turn. The actor will next be seen in the delayed Jupiter Ascending, the latest sci-fi spectacle from Andy and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix) and Magic Mike XXL, the sequel to the (again) surprisingly successful 2010 comedy. On top of that, Tatum has a role in the upcoming Hail, Caesar! for Joel and Ethan Coen, and has rumored to play Gambit in the next phase of the X-Men features.