I’ve regularly joked that Channing Tatum is the hardest workin’, twerkin’, lay it down, flip it and reversin’ it man in $how BiZZZnassssty, but it’s hard to deny that the guy has busted his ass to rise up from the ashes of Virginia Slims on the floor of The Sausage Factory to certified B-list status. With The Vow owning the box office this past weekend and 21 Jump Street more than likely set to do the same, Tatum is going to be around for a while, whether you feel it or not.
But the man who starred in five films in 2011 and will have released four more by the year’s end wants to do things a little differently moving forward. He wants to actually let his fans choose his new projects through social media accounts. Oh please, please, PLEASE let there be an “Other” option for me to recommend ideas.
“Studios — rightfully so because that’s the system — try to manipulate [people] into wanting something they might not want,” he said. “I don’t think that’s the right way to go about it. I want to straight up ask them: Should I make a comedy? An action movie? A love story?”
But as much as he values how social media fosters a conversation with fans, Tatum acknowledged that more operational details elude him. The actor said he “is not a computer person” and, like many other stars, pays someone to manage his Twitter and Facebook accounts. (Via the LA Times)
In case you missed it, The Vow had some hilarious Facebook marketing that featured Tatum giving Valentine’s Day love in videos that you could send to people. I sent one to Vince, but he didn’t respond. :(
As for Tatum’s idea, I think it’s absolutely brilliant. Will studios go for it? Probably not, because it could open up Pandora’s Box with actors crapping all over movies and there’s no way the suits will stand for that. But I’m on board to help make this idea succeed, and thankfully my good friend C-Tates forwarded me a rough copy of his first Facebook poll…