Salma Hayek Replaces Thandiwe Newton On Magic Mike 3 As Statement Released About Her Departure

Salma Hayek has replaced Thandiwe Newton in the third instalment of Magic Mike.

Filming was under way for the third and final movie in the series - entitled Magic Mike's Last Dance - but the female lead has now pulled out.

The Sun reported that the 49-year-old was axed after she had a row with star Channing Tatum, which apparently stemmed from a discussion about Will Smith hitting Chris Rock at the Oscars.

However, a spokesperson for Newton has denied the report. They told MailOnline: "This report is completely inaccurate."

The studio behind the film - Warner Bros. Pictures - said the actor has stepped aside due to 'family matters'.

In a statement, the studio said: "Thandiwe Newton has made the difficult decision to step away from the production of Warner Bros. Pictures' Magic Mike's Last Dance to deal with family matters."

Hayek has now been drafted in to replace Newton, according to Deadline.

Tatum is set to reprise his role as Mike Lane – a male stripper loosely based on the actor’s own experiences working as a stripper in Florida – more than six years after appearing in Magic Mike XXL.

Revealing the news in a tweet, Tatum shared an image of the front page of the film’s script, writing, ‘Well world, looks like Mike Lane’s tapping back in.’

Released in 2012, the first Magic Mike movie was a box office smash, grossing $167 million in cinemas, per The Hollywood Reporter.

As well as a critically successful sequel, the film also inspired the Las Vegas stage show Magic Mike Live, and helped see Channing Tatum crowned PEOPLE's 'Sexiest Man Alive' in 2012.

It is unclear whether Matthew McConaughey will return for the new film, though he recently teased that he'd be up for it by sharing a photo of himself alongside Tatum in a post on Instagram, captioned: "Call me."

Steven Soderbergh is returning to direct the third movie.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance will premiere exclusively on HBO Max, with a release date yet to be announced.

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