GAMBIT: Fox Is Expected To Begin Production On The X-MEN Spin-Off Early Next Year

With Gambit now having an official release date and Fox chugging along with pre-production on its eagerly-awaited X-Men spin-off, we now have a new report that claims filming could begin early next year. More specifically, Omega Underground, who has been following the film closely, says production will start in February with a wrap date expected sometime in July. This would likely keep the film on track for its Valentine's Day 2019 release.

As previously reported, Fox, which recently changed the working title for Gambit from "Chess" to "Forevermore," is location scouting in New Orleans. For anyone familiar with the character, filming in the Big Easy would only make sense since that's where he's from.

Recently, it was confirmed that Primetime Emmy-nominee Lizzy Caplan had joined the cast of Gambit as the female lead, opposite Channing Tatum who will star as the film's titular character. Details on her role are still being kept under wraps, but it's believed she could play Bella Donna Boudreaux.We still don't have an official synopsis for Gambit, but it is rumored that Candra The Benefactress, a mutant integral to Remy LeBeau's comic book origin, could be involved in the film. Her inclusion could help bridge Gambit to the studio's other X-Men properties such as Deadpool and X-Force, as Candra is a member of a group of immortal mutants known as the Externals. Character breakdowns for the film also indicate that Mr. Sinister may play an important role in the story as well. 

With filming believed to be on track for early 2018, it shouldn't be too much longer before we get some more details - either officially or via some set photos. The Gore Verbinski-directed Gambit is set for release on February 14, 2019.