http://variety.com/2015/film/news/channing-tatum-gambit-loses-director-rupert-wyatt-1201595357/

Channing Tatum’s ‘Gambit’ Loses Director Rupert Wyatt
Maane Khatchatourian
News Editor, Variety.com
SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 | 03:23PM PT

Director Rupert Wyatt is exiting Channing Tatum’s “X-Men” spinoff, “Gambit.”

Wyatt, who directed “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” for 20th Century Fox, boarded the film in June.

A changing script caused the film’s budget to balloon, extending the shoot. Production was set to start in November, but has now been delayed to early 2016, prompting Wyatt’s departure, sources tell Variety.

“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 in a statement. “I thank them for the opportunity and I know that Gambit will make a terrific film.”

Josh Zetumer wrote the screenplay based on a treatment by “Gambit” co-creator Chris Claremont. Tatum, Reid Carolin, Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg are producing the pic.

This is Fox and Kinberg’s second comic book movie to run into problems following trouble with “Fantastic Four.”

The Gambit character was created in 1990 by Claremont and Jim Lee. Gambit is an expert card-thrower with the ability to mentally manipulate kinetic energy.

“Gambit,” which hits theaters on Oct. 7, 2016, will be Fox’s eighth “X-Men” film. “X-Men: Apocalypse” bows on May 27, 2016.