"I hate when people use that reference," Beckford says.
Following the unexpected success of Magic Mike, the all-male stripper film starring Channing Tatum and Joe Mangainello, Hollywood started production on an urban version called Chocolate City.
Citing a “glaring omission” of any people of color, director Jean-Claude La Marre pushed forward with a new film starring former model Tyson Beckford and Michael Jai White.
But that’s where any and all comparisons should stop.
“I hate when people use that reference, because it’s totally about a different kind of experience,” Beckford tells HIV Plus magazine of the upcoming film, which hits theaters on March 19, 2015. “Black strip clubs and white strip clubs are totally different.”
Beckford also describes the strip club experience as “more rhythm-driven” – something we hope to see more of given that the Chocolate City also stars Ginuwine as a character named Pharoah. (His hit single, “Pony,” was featured in Magic Mike during a showcase dance number by Tatum.)
Chocolate City will tell the story of a college student who turns to stripping in order to pay the bills. The film’s cast will be rounded out by Vivica Fox and Carmen Electra and the director himself as Pastor Jones.
Check out more (skin-filled) images of the cast on the film’s official Facebook page. Meanwhile, Magic Mike XXL recently wrapped production and will hit theaters a few months after City's debut on July 1, 2015. Watch as ET goes on set to talk about the cast: