X-MEN Producer Pitching GAMBIT Movie Starring Channing Tatum To Fox

While doing press for White House Down, actor Channing Tatum was vocal about his desire to play the Ragin' Cajun in a Gambit movie. Apparently, this campaign has made it's way to X-Men franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner who revealed to Empire, that she's been already talking to 20th Century Fox about Channing starring in a Gambit film.

“I’m dying to do a Gambit movie with Channing Tatum...That doesn’t have to be a great big movie. It’s a thief in New Orleans, it’s a whole different story. He’s on board, and I have to get the studio on board. How can anyone resist Channing? He’s such a sweetheart.”

A low budget Gambit movie could be almost as awesome as The Wolverine, which took place in one setting with a semi-street level story, instead of globetrotting around the world, while trying to save it. Gambit has an interesting history which includes a longstanding conflict of two warring mutant groups The Thieves (which he is apart of) and The Assassins, something that could be interesting to explore in a smaller movie. There is also his darker-side when he helped Mr. Sinister with the genocide of the Morlocks (a group of low-level sewer dwelling  mutants). Either way, this sounds like confirmation that Taylor Kitsch is going to be re-cast. Currently, a director and writer haven't been named or announced, but I assume Simon Kinberg would be involved. Fingers crossed, this could also mean Rogue and Gambit might finally cross paths.



 Channing recently got a career boost from successful features like 21 Jump Street, along with cameos in films like This Is The End and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. This year he'll be jumping between comedy and action with roles in 22 Jump Street and The Wachowskis' sci-fi epic Jupiter Ascending. Tatum might be in a better place with audiences than Ryan Reynolds, who has been trying for ages to get his Deadpool out of  development limbo. Despite Ryan having a steady stream of box office failures, which might have Fox scared to invest in Reynolds as The Merc With The Mouth.

SOURCE: EMPIRE