Channing Tatum is opening up about the moment in Josephine that hit him the hardest, as the film continues to generate strong emotional reactions following its Sundance debut.
Beth de Araújo’s drama quickly emerged as one of the breakout titles of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival after its world premiere drew a powerful response inside the packed Eccles Theater.
By the time the credits rolled, the audience rose to its feet for a lengthy standing ovation, while Tatum, who stars in the film, was visibly emotional.
He later admitted he broke down “five, six, seven” times during the screening.
The day after the premiere, Tatum joined writer-director Araújo and co-stars Gemma Chan and Mason Reeves at the Variety Studio presented by Audible, where he reflected on watching the film for the first time.
One scene, in particular, stayed with him.
“One of the scenes that got me, and I wasn’t there for the filming it, is when Josephine is looking through the window and drawing things,” Tatum said.
“I bawled my eyes out. It was such a beautiful scene. That was unexpected. There are so many moments in this movie where you think about your own child and your own childhood.”
In Josephine, Tatum and Chan play parents struggling to support their young daughter as she processes the aftermath of a traumatic event.
Araújo both wrote and directed the film, drawing from a deeply personal experience from her own childhood, which gives the story an added layer of authenticity.
Tatum praised Araújo’s approach, noting that the script stood out immediately.
“I was blown away by her first film and so lucky that she even sent me the script. Reading it… brave isn’t even the word. It was so bold,” he said.
“The swings she was taking with the style. She is really doing it. She is not trying to make a movie, she’s trying to tell a story that’s never been told. I think she did it with this movie.”
The actor also shared how the film affected him on a personal level.
“I have a daughter, and it has made me look at myself and the way I parent and what the connection is and how I’m communicating things,” Tatum said.
“This movie deals with such hard subjects, but in such a masterfully artful way. I am so proud to be in it.”
After premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance, Josephine is set to screen next at the Berlin International Film Festival, continuing its early momentum on the global stage.
