Channing Tatum: Turning Down Guillermo del Toro’s Beauty and the Beast Was “My Biggest Mistake”; Kirsten Dunst Isn’t Arrogant
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Channing Tatum admits that the biggest mistake of his career was rejecting a project directed by Guillermo del Toro. At the time, his daughter Everly—now 12—had just been born.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Tatum explained that in addition to becoming a new father, another reason for declining was not wanting to commit to another grueling shoot and his feeling that the script “didn’t quite get there.”
He revealed the project was del Toro’s Beauty and the Beast: “It was my biggest mistake, because I’m Guillermo’s biggest fan. And I think if Guillermo had made Beauty and the Beast, it would have been the best possible version of that film.”
Del Toro’s Beauty and the Beast never came to fruition, and instead the Mexican filmmaker went on to make projects like The Shape of Water, his stop-motion Pinocchio, and the upcoming Frankenstein. He is also set to direct Fury, starring Oscar Isaac.
Speaking about del Toro, Tatum said: “He’s a true creator. Maybe I’ll never forgive myself for that one, but I hope we’ll collaborate one day.”
Tatum’s latest film, Roofman, co-stars Kirsten Dunst and is directed by Derek Cianfrance. Based on the real-life story of Jeffrey Manchester—a former U.S. Army Reserve member turned professional burglar—the film follows his notorious string of rooftop break-ins at more than 60 McDonald’s restaurants. Manchester, known as the “Roofman,” rarely resorted to violence. Dunst plays a toy store employee who unknowingly falls for Manchester, not realizing he is the elusive thief.
In a separate interview with Variety, Tatum praised his experience working with Dunst: “She’s not an arrogant star, even though she easily could be—and she has every right to be. But she’s not. She wants to sit with you, smoke a cigarette, drink whiskey, and talk shit.”
