It has been five months since it was confirmed that Channing Tatum would be playing Gambit in his own X-MEN movie. Since then, X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST has gone on to be critically acclaimed and a box office hit. With X-MEN: APOCALYPSE in the writing stages, it is now time for GAMBIT to as well.
First step is finding a screenwriter and it looks like 20th Century Fox has found their man. Deadline reports that Josh Zetumer will script GAMBIT. Zetumer co-wrote this year’s ROBOCOP remake and may still be involved with writing the next BOURNE film will handle the screenplay which is based on a treatment by Chris Claremont. Zetumer may not have had many films produced, but he has been linked to major projects including Peter Berg‘s aborted DUNE remake.
Whether or not Zetumer’s screenplay is the one that actually makes it to the screen, his hiring is the first step in the long process to making GAMBIT a reality. Channing Tatum has several projects in the works over the next few years and it is unknown if he will factor into X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. We will have to wait and see where this goes, but due to the lukewarm reception for ROBOCOP, this may not be good news in the eyes of fans of the character.
What do you think of the hiring? Good choice or another X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE waiting to happen?