X-Men Spin-Off ‘Gambit’ Finds Its Director, Channing Tatum Will Produce

By Gio Ramos on June 15, 2015 • ( Leave a comment )

Along with next year’s X-Men: Apocalypse comes two solo character spin off films in Deadpool and Gambit. The latter of the two has finally taken a big step in finding its director. After reports of Bennett Miller and Darren Aronofsky turning down offers to direct, EW is reporting that Rupert Wyatt will direct ‘Gambit‘.

Wyatt is best known for his directorial effort in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which served as an origin story for Caesar. If the rumors are true about Gambit also serving as an origin story (pre X-Men recruitment), then this could be an excellent match up. The script for the film has been done for sometime now, and production is expected to begin in the fall for an October 2016 release.

The report also mentions that Channing Tatum will not only star in the title role, but will also produce the film. This has been a passion project for the Magic Mike star for sometime now. Part of the reason why I buy his casting is due to his understanding of the character, and his dedication in preparing for the role.

“I love Gambit. I grew up in the South; my father’s from Louisiana. We’d go to New Orleans and I heard all the dialects. It felt so different from the rest of America; it has its own ancient culture. So I identified with that. And he always felt the most real of the X-Men to me. He’s kind of a tortured soul and he’s not a good guy. But he’s not a bad guy, either. He walks his own path. And of course he plays cards and drinks and is a martial-arts badass!”

Gambit is set to release on October 7, 2016.