It didn't come as much of a surprise when Channing Tatum's Gambit was delayed to the point where even Tatum himself had to move on to his other commitments. The film has had nothing but bad luck since the start of production. The film's director, Rupert Wyatt, had dropped out, and eventually so did Doug Liman, who was set to replace Wyatt. Then there were the constant delays that would eventually lead up to Fox pulling the film from its release schedule.
There hasn't been any word on the Gambit film since then, but according to producer Simon Kinberg, the film is still alive. "We've gotta get the script right," revealed Kinberg. "We just didn't get the script to the place that we all felt like that movie deserved, so we're still working on the script -- we're very close, actually, to being done with the script."
Kinberg then went on to talk about the importance of making sure they find the right tone for Gambit, and how Tim Miller's Deadpool has helped him throughout the process. "I think one of the things that I've learned on all of these movies -- and maybe the lesson was best learned for me on 'Deadpool' -- is the most important thing is getting the tone and the voice right," said the Deadpool producer. "That the storytelling, the actual plots, are sort of interchangeable and disposable, ultimately. If I ask you what your favorite movies are, you're not going to tell me the plot, you're going to tell me you love this character, and so what we've really tried to do with 'Gambit' is make sure we get the voice of that character right, and the tone of the comics 100 percent on the page."
Fox is still eager to have Tatum be a part of their expanding X-Men Universe, and although it's taken a lot longer than they had realized, Kinberg still has high hopes for Gambit to make his solo debut. "There was a moment where we were going to shoot the movie at the beginning of this year, and then we felt it just wasn't ready. So, knowing -- hoping -- that 'Gambit' is, like 'Deadpool' was, the start of a new franchise within the X-Men universe, we want to make sure to get it right."
Do you still want to see a Channing Tatum Gambit film?