Channing Tatum on Fatherhood: 'It's Going To Be Intense'

Channing Tatum is no stranger to fast-paced, heart-pumping action films, but the 32-year-old actor is bracing himself for his most challenging role yet: fatherhood.

"The rest of this year is going to be pretty nuts," he told Us Weekly at the New York premiere of his new crime drama thriller, "Side Effects," on Thursday. "Even during having the baby -- the baby-having process -- it's going to be intense."

PHOTOS: Channing Tatum's hot body

Tatum and his wife, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, also 32, have been happily anticipating the new addition to their family since they announced her first-time pregnancy back in December.

"Channing is so excited for the baby," a pal of the couple told Us at the time. "He's been wanting this a long time. They are over the moon about becoming parents."

The couple first met on the set of dance flick "Step Up" in 2006, and married in a beachside ceremony in Malibu, Calif., on July 11, 2009.

PHOTOS: Celebrity pregnancies

But with the new baby on the way, Tatum tells Us that he's hoping to slow down a bit in his professional career. The actor had an impressive five films out in 2012 -- "Haywire," "The Vow," "21 Jump Street," "Magic Mike" and "Ten Year" -- so this year will be about getting behind the camera, he explained.

"We're going to take a break, and my [production] partner [Reid Carolin] and I, we're going to try to like direct and do some things like that," he told Us.

PHOTOS: 2012's babies of the year

The actor expressed similar sentiments back in December, prior to announcing the baby news.

"We have about three to four ideas that we love that are all in the hopper. By the end of next year, we're going to shut things down and write the first thing that we're going to direct," Tatum told Entertainment Weekly at the beginning of December. "We're going to be like, alright, no more acting parts for a minute, let's take a few and really get caring about that section of our career."

MORE ON WONDERWALL:

Video: Best and worst beach bods

Alec Baldwin expecting stork visit with yoga instructor missus?

Jenna Dewan-Tatum: I'm having pregnant 'hormonal dreams'