At long last, the Gambit movie has found its director. Channing Tatum came onboard the X-Men spinoff last year, and 20th Century Fox quickly staked out an October 7, 2016 release date. But the project has been slow-going when it comes to finding a director, with the clock ticking and October 2016 looming closer. Reports swirled that Tatum reached out to folks like Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) to take the helm, but EW now reports that Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt has been tapped to steer this particular superhero ship.

Gambit aka Remy LeBeau is a fan-favorite character from the X-Men comics, a New Orleans native with a penchant for gambling and turning objects (like playing cards) into throw-able explosives. Taylor Kitsch filled the role in the 2009 misfire X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but with Gambit Tatum aims to jumpstart a new X-Men franchise as the series proper is currently at a high point; the 80s-set X-Men: Apocalypse currently in production.

Wyatt first gained notice with his 2008 film The Escapist before helming the pleasantly surprising Apes reboot. Last year he turned his attention to crime drama territory in the Mark Wahlberg-fronted remake The Gambler to somewhat ho-hum results, but he’s certainly proved capable of infusing blockbuster material with smarts and humanity, so he seems like a solid fit for Gambit.

Tatum is not only starring in Gambit but also producing alongside Reid Carolin, Lauren Schuler Donner, and Simon Kinberg. With a filmmaker now set, expect production to get underway later this year.


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Image via Paramount Pictures