Channing Tatum is Disappointed The Lost City Changed its Movie Title
Channing Tatum is disappointed his upcoming movie The Lost City changed its movie title from the filthier, more comedic The Lost City of D. Directed and co-written by Adam and Arron Nee alongside screenwriters Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street) and Dana Fox (Cruella), The Lost City follows romance novelist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), who his kidnapped by eccentric billionaire Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) so that she can lead him to an ancient city’s lost treasure described in her latest book. The film also stars Patti Harrison, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nunez, and Bowen Yang. Brad Pitt, who worked with Bullock on Bullet Train, also makes a much-hyped cameo in the film.
In the film, Tatum plays Alan/Dash, the Fabio-inspired model who graces the covers of Sage’s novels. After Sage is kidnapped, the dim-witted model sets off to rescue her in an attempt to prove his merit as more than just a pretty face, which results in an action-packed jungle adventure. In addition to the release of several promo images and its first trailer late last year, The Lost City recently debuted its Super Bowl TV spot.
The Lost City’s original title, The Lost City of D, was a play on, The Lost City of Z, the book and movie about British explorer Percy Fawcett and his search for the Amazonian city. During the CinemaCon presentation last year, Paramount Pictures announced the upcoming romantic adventure comedy had been retitled. In a recent interview with Variety, Tatum admitted he preferred The Lost City’s original title. “I wished they wouldn’t have dropped the ‘D,’” said Tatum. “You never drop the ‘D.’”
While The Lost City’s name change might have occurred because of its similarity to The Lost City of Z, it’s more likely the ‘D’ was dropped because of its phallic connotation. Despite the film being a romantic comedy and the original title making thematic sense, that’s still a risky marketing move. Following a four-year hiatus, The Lost City marks yet another return to the genre for Tatum, who went from romantic lead in films like Step Up and Dear John to comedic action hero in 21 Jump Street.
Coming off his supporting role in Free Guy, it seems Tatum hasn’t missed a beat as more of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. With or without the ‘D,’ The Lost City will almost certainly turn a profit when it releases in theaters on March 25. This week, Tatum can be seen in his co-directorial debut, Dog, inspired by his pit bull-Catahoula mix, Lulu, who died from cancer in 2018. And, of course, Tatum will also reprise his semi-autobiographical role in Steven Soderbergh’s third chapter in the Mike Magic franchise, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, which starts shooting in London next month.
Source: Variety