There appeared a few snags on the road, but Channing Tatum (Magic Mike) is officially on board to play the title character in Gambit, Fox’s adaptation of the popular Marvel Comics character. Now the search is on for who will co-star alongside Tatum to portray female lead Bella Donna Boudreaux. Deadline broke the exclusive that three up-and-coming actresses are towards the top of the list. They are Rebecca Ferguson (Hercules), Léa Seydoux (Farewell, My Queen) and Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road).
In the film, to be directed by Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Gambler), Tatum plays Remy LeBeau, a mutant with the power to charge matter into kinetic energy. The character first appeared in film, rather infamously, in the 2009 film Wolverine: X-Men Origins played by Taylor Kitsch (True Detective). Boudreaux is Remy’s childhood friend and love interest who eventually gains powers of her own. Perhaps in the right hands, the character will be more than eye candy.
The Swedish-born Ferguson can currently be seen in theaters memorably going toe-to-toe with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and appears ripe for major breakout soon enough. In a short span of time, Ferguson has earned her action film bonafides, while building up impressive dramatic muscles as well. Last year, she co-starred in Brett Ratner’s Hercules opposite Dwayne Johnson and previously she earned a Golden Globe nomination for her leading role in the 2013 mini-series The White Queen. Coming up, Ferguson will be seen in Florence Foster Jenkins, a dramedy from director Stephen Frears (The Queen) starring Meryl Streep (Ricki and the Flash) and Hugh Grant (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.).
French actress Seydoux is hardly a slouch herself and is quickly becoming one of the sharpest international stars of the moment. Perhaps best known for co-starring in the controversial 2013 coming of age film Blue is the Warmest Color (for which she shared the Palme d’Or, top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, alongside co-star Adéle Exarchopoulos and director Abdellatif Kechiche), Seydoux has also appeared in several American productions including Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and the Oscar winning comedies Midnight in Paris and The Grand Budapest Hotel. She will soon appear in the upcoming James Bond entry Spectre opposite Daniel Craig as well as the indie oddity The Lobster, film that earned warm notices at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Further down the road, Seydoux will also appear in Disney’s live-action update of Beauty and the Beast and the Xavier Dolan drama It’s Only the End of the World opposite Oscar winner Marion Cotillard.
By contrast, Lee is a beginner but has shown potential even in a limited body of work. The Australian model-actress appeared earlier this year in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Since then, she has booked roles in the thriller The Neon Demon, the latest from director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) as well as the fantasy film Gods of Egypt from Dark City filmmaker Alex Proyas; both are due in theaters next spring.
All three actress are reportedly testing for the role in Gambit. Stay tuned for an officially casting announcement. Gambit is expected arrive in theaters on October 7, 2016.
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