After rumors were falsely circling last month about a possible departure from star Channing Tatum (Magic Mike), the X-Men spin-off Gambit is now suffering an official loss of its director Rupert Wyatt, according to Deadline. Wyatt’s camp claims that the reasons are owing to a recent production shift – shooting was pushed from this November to next March – which conflicts with another commitment for the director. Rumors about a disagreement over script and budget have also been spreading, but this has not been confirmed.
Despite what seems like a major halt in development, 20th Century Fox is still pushing forward confidently with Gambit. Tatum is still on board as well as his recently cast co-star Lea Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Color). The script by RoboCop scribe Joshua Zetumer is also still in place.
In a statement regarding his exit from the project, Wyatt confessed:
I was very much looking forward to working with my friend Channing and the team at Fox, but regrettably a push in the start date now conflicts with another project. I thank them for the opportunity, and I know that Gambit will make a terrific film.
Wyatt is known for his work on Rise of the Plant of the Apes and last year’s Mark Wahlberg-starrer The Gambler. Any upcoming projects that would potentially conflict with the Gambit schedule have not yet been announced.
Gambit is slated for release on October 7, 2016 pending the hiring of a new director.
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