Rupert Wyatt Exits Gambit Movie

Just when it looked like 20^th Century Fox’s other 2016 X-Men spin-off had its table set, the deck has been reshuffled again. Shortly after a brief question mark about whether Channing Tatum remained committed to starring the Ragin’ Cajun known as Remy LeBeau, news broke late Wednesday that director Rupert Wyatt has now dropped out of Gambit.

Starting as a snowball effect when an unnamed source told The Hollywood Reporter that a delayed start to filming caused a conflict in Wyatt’s schedule, Wyatt himself released an official statement about his departure from the mutant superhero movie.

"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," Wyatt said. "I thank them for the opportunity, and I know that Gambit will make a terrific film."

Wyatt was certainly a get in terms of genre credit since he breathed new life into the long mothballed Planet of the Apes franchise with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. He since directed the less stellar Gambler remake with Mark Wahlberg, but fan buzz certainly followed Wyatt well.

According to THR, Wyatt’s departure was due to either a script rewrite causing the film to be more expensive and thus extending the shoot or that the intention to film at Mardi Gras next year conflicts with his prior commitments as a director. However, as the only other project on his docket right now is the pilot for a still uncast TV series, it would seem a bit odd to leave a high profile superhero movie under such circumstances.

Now, the race is on to replace Wyatt but with Gambit due in theaters in a little over year—Oct 7, 2016 to be exact—it is probably not improbable to see a release date move in the near future as well.

Tatum and Léa Seydoux are still attached to lead the film.