Channing Tatum Really Wants To Be Gambit
Those who grew up absorbing X-Men material, especially during the 90s, were fond of the supercool Ragin’ Cajun known as Gambit, whose mutant superpower was charging up items with explosive energy and flinging them. Gambit’s weapon of choice was playing cards, which he’d charge and toss casually while uttering one-liners peppered with New Orleans French.
Years ago, 20th Century Fox promised actor Channing Tatum he’d get to play Gambit in a feature film. But then, as many Hollywood projects often do, the Gambit solo movie hit delays and setbacks. First Fox hired director Rupert Wyatt to take charge of the project. Then he bailed. Fox’s next choice was Doug Liman, who also quit after a few months. The third choice was Gore Virbinski, who bowed out in record time due to reported “scheduling issues.”
The Gambit movie is currently directorless and many Hollywood insiders assumed it was DOA by now. Tatum, however, isn’t willing to give up. He really, really wants to be this guy, and he may be at the point where he physically pushes the picture into existence himself.
Translation: he’s thinking about directing Gambit on his own. “Buzz has been that [Channing] might direct the film after several other filmmakers have been in and out,” reports Deadline in a brief news bite. If he follows through, it would be the first time he stepped behind the camera (in addition to being in front of it).
He’s not completely alone, though. Simon Kinberg, the producer of Gambit, also refuses to give up on the picture, and still talks about it in interviews. His most recent comments were made last fall, when he told IGN “I would say the vibe of Gambit has a romantic or sex comedy vibe to it…While it is also still very much a superhero movie with villains and heroes, as all these movies are.”
Will we ever get a rom-com starring Channing Tatum as Gambit? The impending Disney takeover could complicate things further. Stay tuned…