It was only weeks ago that Channing Tatum was on stage at Comic-Con with the other X-Men actors to promote the upcoming solo film about Remy LeBeau aka Gambit. Heck, he was also the only one to help the Generalissimo Stan Lee off the stage once the panel was over. But now it looks like the magic may be over as sources are reporting that Tatum is planning to walk away from the role.
This is devastating news for the project as Tatum has been very instrumental in getting the film off the ground. In fact, he is not only a producer but was involved in choosing the director and was rumored to be testing with other actresses to play opposite him. But apparently talks between the studio and the actor’s reps are not going well and the deal is in jeopardy of falling apart leaving ‘Gambit’ with no lead actor.
Reasons for Tatum’s exit have not been given and speculation has gone from a possible change in the studios’ vision to how the film should be about (after all, that was why Peyton Reed walked away from directing the 2005 version of ‘Fantastic Four’), disagreement on the details of the backend compensation for the actor, to even an inability to agree on how many movies Tatum should be locked in. The Wrap has stated that the actor “has larger ambitions, which may play a role in the situation as it currently stands.’
With the amount of buzz ‘Gambit’ has been getting (and really, it’s all because of Tatum), it is doubtful, 20th Century Fox will be dropping the project. No word yet if Tatum will still stay on as a producer once the negotiations are done, but as of now Simon Kinberg and Lauren Shuler Donner are still on board. With the film slated to go into production in just a few weeks, a decision will need to be made soon as a new leading man would need to be found quickly if Tatum does walk.
Since negotiations are still in progress, nothing is yet final. As always, check back here for updates as they become available.
‘Gambit’ has been slated for released on October 7, 2016.
