The 'Magic Mike' actor will make his directorial debut with the movie 'Dog,' in which he plays an Army veteran who forms a special bond with a mischievous dog, and he has admitted his own relationship his four-legged friend was part of the inspiration for his project.
Channing, who co-directed the film with Reid Carolin, said in an interview with 'Empire' magazine: "My dog was dying so we went on one last road trip together. When I came back I told the guys in the office about the experience and how emotional it was and that's really where the story started. Still, we wanted to make it feel good and let people enjoy the experience of being in the cinema, because every time we told people we were doing a dog movie, they were like, 'Is the dog going to die? I don't want to watch the dog die.'" Channing also looked to Tom Hanks' classic 'Scott & Huutsch' for tips on making his directorial debut. "I really enjoyed this film as a kid, it's Tom Hanks and a dog, what's not to like about it? In terms of acting with the dog, I actually took a lot of inspiration from that movie." However, some dog films proved a little too emotional for the star and his eight-year-old daughter Everly, who he has with ex-wife Jenna Dewan. "Then 'Benji' was also a big success for me. I tried to show my daughter this movie but we couldn't do it, she just cried and cried," continued Tatum.
