Doug Liman Explains Why He Decided Against Directing X-MEN Spinoff GAMBIT

Doug Liman Explains Why He Decided Against Directing X-MEN Spinoff GAMBIT

Despite originally being lined up for last October, Gambit currently has no release date and seems to be stuck in development hell. Here, Doug Liman explains why he walked away from the project.

News
By JoshWilding - May 08, 2017 01:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Gambit
Source: We Got This Covered
While many fans argued that the movie wasn't necessary, things were looking good for Gambit for a while as Rupert Wyatt was attached to direct, Channing Tatum had signed on to star, and the X-Men spinoff had been given an October 2016 release date. After Wyatt left due to "creative differences," Edge of Tomorrow's Doug Liman took over and sadly also decided to walk away from the project. 

When We Got This Covered recently caught up with Liman, he shed some light on why he decided not to take the helm of Gambit and it doesn't sound like he was particularly impressed with the script! 

"I look for a personal connection to the movies I make and it may not be immediately obvious. You know, like what’s my connection to Jason Bourne? I have a deeply personal connection to that movie because it’s all about Iran-Contra and my father ran the investigations into Iran-Contra. In every story I have a personal connection. The Wall, you’d be like what could this filmmaker from New York possibly have in common with these two soldiers pinned down in Irag? But The Wall is really about perseverance. It’s about picking yourself up and you just keep going and that’s something I have firsthand experience with. Not in war but in other aspects of life. With Gambit, I just never found that personal way in. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t."

Chris Claremont wrote the treatment for Gambit, but we know that Wyatt left because Fox wanted to trim the budget, so perhaps Liman just couldn't find a way to get invested in what was left of that original idea. We may never know, but the filmmaker has his sights set on Justice League Dark now, so the fate of this spinoff currently remains unknown. Do you think it will ever see the light of day? 
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Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 5/8/2017, 12:06 AM
Guy Ritchie would be perfect!

If you know the ragin cajun, this is a no brainer!
Tasmaniac
Tasmaniac - 5/8/2017, 4:37 AM
@Doomsday8888 - That is a genius call!

Now we just need Travis Fimmel to play Gambit and we're good to go 👍🏻

And [frick] the haters who say a Gambit movie is pointless! What better possible time could there be to introduce a bad arse anti hero into the X-Men than when Jackman has just hung up his claws?
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 5/8/2017, 4:41 AM
@Tasmaniac -
Indeed, this is the perfect time!
Just look how succesful DP was!
Gambit can be another good franchise. :)
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 5/8/2017, 6:06 AM
@Doomsday8888 - And I suppose his personal connection with Justice League Dark would be his deep seeded involvement with the occult?
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 5/8/2017, 6:15 AM
@CorndogBurglar -
I'm afraid so.
Word has it that he sacrifices 3 Black Cats every second Friday of the month.
Don't know how he gets all that pussy, but some mysteries are better left unsolved! D:
SimpleeComplex
SimpleeComplex - 5/8/2017, 6:23 AM
@Doomsday8888 - 🤣
TheSoulEater
TheSoulEater - 5/8/2017, 9:20 AM
@Doomsday8888 -

AbidNaga
AbidNaga - 5/8/2017, 1:46 AM
I'm always down for an original film based off of any comic book character, but what are the chances of this even being msd?
AbidNaga
AbidNaga - 5/8/2017, 1:46 AM
*made
Illium
Illium - 5/8/2017, 1:54 AM
@AbidNaga - they remade a movie about a chick falling for a goat man because he was rich so you never know
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 5/8/2017, 6:11 AM
@AbidNaga - I can't see it being made, honestly. I to be fair, I'm not so sure Gambit is the type of character that should have his own solo film. Sure he's had some mini-series here and there in the comics, and a couple were even fantastic, but my point is that he's always at his best as a member of the X-Men with a mysterious past. And if he gets popular in the films, then explore his past in an X-Men film. They really only need to mention him being a thief from Louisiana. His biggest and most important secret is his ties to Sinister. But unless they do the Mutant Massacre story in the movies, there's no real point to delve into that either. And lets be honest, Fox hasn't dived into any character in any real detail aside from Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique. Also, Mutant Massacre is WAY too dark for a Fox movie.
TomSolo
TomSolo - 5/8/2017, 9:22 AM
@CorndogBurglar - You make a lot of good points, and we certainly don't need a Gambit film right now. I've always imagined him as a character that is a bit older when he gets to the X-men, so starting his story now when the X-men are all so young seems strange. They could try and put him in the Deadpool part of their universe, but I'm not sure how he would fit there, but I guess it all depends on how he is written.

The thing is, Gambit could be great. However, without completely changing his character, I don't think Gambit is a character that can be straight-up comedic. To me, his story, at least the beginning, should be almost a tragedy. And I certainly wouldn't want to see an origin story that is a tragedy. I feel the GA may be a bit tired of origin stories anyway, so having to sit through one that is depressing would be too much.

I guess my point is, it seems that the GA considers CBM's to be escapist pleasures, and lately the most successful ones seem to make people laugh and feel good. Gambit isn't usually that type of character... at least not in the beginning. So unless this script is something really special, I can't see it happening right now. And the fact that it the only person who hasn't outright jumped ship is Mr. Potatohead, I feel it is just "ok" at best.
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 1:57 AM
Aka "the script sucked ass"
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 1:58 AM
@chewie - also, Channing Tatum.
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/8/2017, 2:19 AM
@chewie - For some reason I just find Tatum a little bit annoying. Even though I like him in the Jump Street movies and Foxcatcher was good
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 2:25 AM
@SimplyAz - exactly! I think he's good in the jump street movies as well. For some reason I have issues with him and It has nothing to do with the fact that my wife wants sexy time with him...
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/8/2017, 2:28 AM
@chewie - Lol. I like it.
Joulipous
Joulipous - 5/8/2017, 3:47 AM
@chewie - Yeah it is too bad he is so deadset on doing this role. I think there are a lot of better fitting actors out there. Besides, Tatum could then play Shazam which I think would really be up his street but oh well. WB can still get John Cena atleast.
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 3:51 AM
@Joulipous - never thought about with of those 2 for Shazam...interesting. Can Cena act? I haven't seen anything he's in
BloodyBed
BloodyBed - 5/8/2017, 4:41 AM
@chewie - it's not like you have to be an actor to be in the dceu!
BloodyBed
BloodyBed - 5/8/2017, 4:41 AM
Ok I don't really mean that, but couldn't help myself.
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 4:42 AM
@ALostCause - abandon thread!!! Hahaha
BlindAl9
BlindAl9 - 5/8/2017, 4:59 AM
@chewie - I didn't see much of him but he is hilarious in trainwreck
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 6:09 AM
@BlindAl9 - oh ok thanks!
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 5/8/2017, 6:14 AM
@chewie - I usually hate the idea of wrestlers as actors. The Rock is the only one to really pull it off, mostly because he is the definition of entertaining. Although, Cena is in The Wall, and i'm pretty interested in seeing that. Maybe he'll be good?
Joulipous
Joulipous - 5/8/2017, 6:19 AM
@chewie - I throught he was pretty good in Trainwreck. He was actually one of the only parts I thought were funny.
TheSoulEater
TheSoulEater - 5/8/2017, 6:49 AM
@SimplyAz -

I will say this for the actor. He's actually good, he's over used like the Rock, but he's a much better actor.

Also he went method for this one, went with an acting coach to get the accent down to sound Cajun, and practiced with card masters so he can do actual card tricks himself, and has engrossed himself in Gambits comics, even some 80's ones.

That and he's already athletically capable of doing stunts, so in my opinion, while not ideal, i love the dedication to want to get the character right.
RolandD
RolandD - 5/8/2017, 6:57 AM
@ALostCause - But you do need to be an actor to be in professional wrestling, not that they are any good at it. lol
RolandD
RolandD - 5/8/2017, 6:59 AM
@ALostCause - Private thoughts. It's a thing. lol
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/8/2017, 7:20 AM
@TheSoulEater - The thing is, like I mentioned, I like some of his movies as well. Maybe I'm just a bit weird. He also seems quite happy as well.
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/8/2017, 7:20 AM
Maybe he'll do a certain role that will just make me really like him
TheSoulEater
TheSoulEater - 5/8/2017, 7:26 AM
@SimplyAz -

Sure, everyone has that one actor they don't care for till the right roll.
BloodyBed
BloodyBed - 5/8/2017, 5:21 PM
@RolandD - don't worry, that's like 70% of my posts. I just think outloud, and sometimes through text lol.
RolandD
RolandD - 5/8/2017, 8:45 PM
@ALostCause - It's a running gag for me. I'll say something at work or at home and then go, "Oh. That was supposed to be a private thought."
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 5/8/2017, 1:59 AM
Give it up already
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/8/2017, 2:18 AM
Haven't heard much about his Justice League Dark, which I cannot wait for.

Dan Stevens for Constantine

chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 2:26 AM
@SimplyAz - I can dig it
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 2:26 AM
@SimplyAz - are you from Az by chance?
SimplyAz
SimplyAz - 5/8/2017, 2:30 AM
@chewie - From London unfortunately. Although I wish I was in Arizona as it's freezing.

The Az part is an abbreviation of my first name.
chewie
chewie - 5/8/2017, 2:33 AM
@SimplyAz - ahh ok. I'm stationed in Germany at the moment but am from Arizona. Visited London last year and loved it. Just did the touristy stuff but still enjoyed it
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