Salma Hayek Is Replacing Thandiwe Newton in Magic Mike's Last Dance , Warner Bros. Says

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Salma Hayek is replacing Thandiwe Newton in the final film of the Magic Mike trilogy, a Warner Bros. spokesperson tells PEOPLE.

Newton, 49, was slated to appear in the franchise for the first time prior to dropping out of Magic Mike's Last Dance, which stars Channing Tatum. Instead, Hayek, 55, will now make her debut.

Variety was first to report the change on Thursday.

"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," the spokesperson said.

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Steven Soderbergh is returning to the director's chair for the third and final installment of the franchise, while Reid Carolin, who penned the first two films, is returning as screenwriter, Variety reports.

Meanwhile, Magic Mike XXL director Gregory Jacobs will help produce the film alongside Carolin, Nick Wechsler and Peter Kiernan.

Production of Magic Mike's Last Dance is already underway in the United Kingdom. Tatum, 41, was spotted sporting a shaved head on the set of the film in London in late March.

However, in February, Tatum revealed on The Kelly Clarkson Show that he nearly turned down the opportunity to appear in Magic Mike 3 when asked if he'd be willing to take on the intense diet and fitness regimen required to reprise his original role.

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"That might be the reason why I didn't want to do a third one. Because I have to look like that," Tatum told host Kelly Clarkson while holding up a shirtless photo of him from Magic Mike XXL, which premiered in 2015.

"It's hard to look like that. Even if you do work out, to be that kind of in shape is not natural," he added. "That's not even healthy. You have to starve yourself. I don't think when you're that lean, it's actually healthy."

A release date for Magic Mike's Last Dance has yet to be announced.