When Fox didn’t include Gambit on their list of future X-Men installments the other week at CinemaCon, it fueled rumors that perhaps Channing Tatum’s long-gestating passion project was dead and gone. According to producer Simon Kinberg, however, the Ragin’ Cajun’s solo movie is still alive and kicking.
By now, Gambit fans should know better than to be presumptive whenever a bit of news regarding their beloved bō staff wielding mutant surfaces, having seen the titular role bounce back and forth between several actors. Keanu Reeves, Josh Holloway and Taylor Kitsch have all been linked with the part, before Tatum took up the mantle and made it his goal to get the project off the ground.
Rumored to begin production on June 19th in Remy LeBeau’s hometown of New Orleans, the pic, which has been in pre-production limbo for what feels like forever now (since 2014), has yet to secure a director, despite having gone through at least three heavyweight helmers – Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman and Gore Verbinski. But make no mistake about it, the search for someone to sit behind the camera is definitely underway.
Though there’s no word yet on an official shortlist, we do know of at least one individual who’s met with Fox. Thanks to Umberto Gonzalez, we can confirm that Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts spoke to the studio about snagging the job. Don’t take that to mean that it’ll be him who eventually helms the pic, but it’s interesting to learn that he’s someone who Fox has their eye on.
Pitched as a supercharged heist movie – think Ocean’s Eleven…with mutants – Tatum will take point as the devilish Remy LaBeau in Gambit, where he’ll be joined by Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex), who recently clinched the female lead. At the time of casting, 20th Century Fox stopped short of mentioning specifics, though budding fans have already linked Caplan’s addition with the seemingly vacant role of Bella Donna.
Gambit is currently tethered to a June 7th, 2019 release, though we fully expect that date to change once Fox locates the film’s fourth (and surely final?) director. Whether that’ll be Vogt-Roberts or someone else entirely, remains to be seen, but as always, we’ll let you know as soon as we learn more.