When Fox didn’t include Gambit on their list of future X-Men installments the other month at CinemaCon, many thought that perhaps Channing Tatum’s long-gestating passion project was dead and gone. You can’t blame them, either, given how many setbacks it’s suffered over the years.
If you’ll recall, during the early days of production, Gambit went through at least three heavyweight helmers: Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) and Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl). Not to mention that the titular role bounced back and forth between several actors – Keanu Reeves, Josh Holloway and Taylor Kitsch were all linked with the part – before Tatum took up the mantle and made it his goal to get the project off the ground.
That said, it seems as if Fox still intends on moving forward with it. After producer Simon Kinberg assured us a few weeks back that things are definitely on track, the studio showed its commitment to the long gestating pic earlier today at CineEurope by announcing it alongside their other X-Men films – Dark Phoenix and New Mutants. No further updates were given, but it’s nice to see them keeping it in the spotlight regardless.
Rumored to begin production this month in Remy LeBeau’s hometown of New Orleans, the movie, 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 a number of them (as mentioned above). But make no mistake about it, the search for someone to sit behind the camera is definitely underway.
That being said, we’re now approaching mid-June and with no word yet on who might be taking the helm on Gambit, don’t be surprised if that production start date gets pushed back yet again.
