Channing Tatum said he turned down the lead in Guillermo del Toro’s long-gestating Beauty and the Beast and now views the decision as one of the biggest mistakes of his career, describing a period when he’d just become a father, was exhausted by another shoot, and felt the script wasn’t ready. He revealed he was approached to play the Beast and still hopes to collaborate with the filmmaker, whom he called a favorite. The remarks came amid his appearances at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Del Toro’s version was in development more than a decade ago with a separate studio and a different approach from Disney’s 2017 hit; Emma Watson had been attached early on, and del Toro ultimately stepped away from directing in 2014 while remaining involved on the script and as a producer. The project never moved forward after his exit, which Tatum acknowledged while reflecting on timing and competing obligations.
Tatum also referenced other near-misses while at the festival, including passing on a major role decades ago that later became a breakthrough for another actor, framing those choices as part of an evolving outlook on risk and creative stretch. His latest awards recognition at Toronto adds attention to the comments, which dovetail with an industry season where personal narratives often shape campaign arcs as much as filmography.
The disclosure arrives as del Toro prepares the rollout of new work and continues to mine classic stories through his own sensibility, a reminder of what an auteur-driven Beauty and the Beast might have looked like in contrast to familiar versions. For Tatum, the anecdote highlights how family life, heavy schedules, and uncertainty about material can converge at the moment a coveted role lands; he said he “will probably never forgive” himself for the pass but left the door open to teaming with del Toro in the future.
