Channing Tatum collaborates with "Bad Feminist" author Roxane Gay on romance novel

Channing Tatum is taking on a new creative adventure: writing an adult book. Tatum, 45, is set to release a romance novel next year, co-written with acclaimed author Roxane Gay, 51, who is the bestselling author of "Bad Feminist." 

While this marks his first attempt at adult fiction, the Magic Mike actor isn’t entirely new to publishing. According to InStyle, Tatum is the author of the "Sparkella" picture book series which was inspired by his daughter.

The collaboration was confirmed during a recent episode of the YouTube conversation series Service95, hosted by singer-songwriter Dua Lipa. Gay discussed with Lipa the collab and her other upcoming projects, sharing insights into how the unusual pairing came about.

“We are co-writing it together. It's a lot of fun,” Gay revealed, admitting that the progress has faced some delays due to their busy schedules.

She recounted the surprising origin of the collaboration. “Channing… he was in Australia, and a journalist asked him if he knew that there was this writer who had a crush on him and wrote a book called "Bad Feminist." And he was like, "Oh, I haven't heard of it, but I'll look into it." And then he did. Then someone approached him about doing a book project, and he was like, ‘yes, I would love to if I can co-write it with this person.’”

Gay reflected how the experience deviated from her usual writing process. “I have found, during the brainstorming stage, he had a lot of really great ideas. It was actually interesting and very different from my process to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to take their input in, offer mine back. So it's different and very enjoyable,” she explained.

According to Yahoo Entertainment, Gay described the book as a story about two people who make a “marriage pact” that says they have to get married if they’re still single at 40. 

They follow through, marry, and fall in love afterwards. Set partly in a bakery, she has described the story as grounded in reality but full of steamy romance.

Lipa then praised the collaboration and asked about the book’s release.  “Hopefully next year,” Gay replied. She added, “At this point, it’s in my hands. I'm hoping to finish it in the next few months because I have other stuff going on and I'd like to just have this one out in the world. It's fun.”

Gay also shared updates on her other projects, including the film adaptation of her memoir Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, which is expected to air this spring or early summer. She is also finishing a book on writing titled How to Be Heard, scheduled for fall 2027.