You haven’t seen him on the press tour for the movie, or in the trailers, but Channing Tatum is definitely a key member of "The Hateful Eight" ensemble, and for months has been quietly listed at the end of the cast list which includes Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern. So before you cry "spoiler!," his inclusion has been known for a while now, and moreover, his name is in the opening credits of the film as well.
All that said, just how he factors in the movie — well, that can’t be revealed without giving up the goods, so its understandable why Tatum has been a bit below the radar when it comes to Quentin Tarantino‘s film. However, with the film now in wide release, The Weinstein Company are looking to make up some box-office ground (the movie opened decently but not spectacularly with $16.2 million in its first wide weekend), and dropping the first image of Tatum in costume is a good way to drum up promo and maybe spur a few more box-office dollars this weekend.
“We’re living in a ‘Star Wars’ universe. I love ‘Star Wars.’ I think it’s great. It’s not sour grapes, but if I’m writing a memo to myself, I would say ‘do not open against ‘Star Wars.’ Do not open against the biggest movie of all time,” Harvey Weinstein told Variety. “We would have doubled the gross without ‘Star Wars.’ ” But he should take some consolation in that no one could’ve imagined what a box office behemoth "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was going to become.
Meanwhile, there’s also a new featurette focusing on Ennio Morricone and his score, showing the composer doing his work at Abbey Road Studios. Check it out below. "The Hateful Eight" is now playing everywhere, but try and see it in 70mm if you can — it’s a pretty great experience.
