GAMBIT to Have a Production Budget of a $154 Million?! Seems a Bit High For the Newest X-Men Solo Franchise

This October in Louisiana, 20th Century Fox will begin filming their next solo X-Men movie GAMBIT, starring actor Channing Tatum. This movie has a lot going for it with Tatum in the leading role.

There might be some fans who don't like the casting, but Tatum's many quotes about the film show he's passionate for the character which means a lot when it comes to any super hero movie. Think about how passionate Ryan Reynolds is for DEADPOOL and Tatum's passion nearly matches that.

GAMBIT already has its leading actor and Fox hired director Rupert Wyatt to helm the film. Wyatt knows big action and special effects movies after directing Rise of the Planet of the Apes, so he's a good fit for a mutant who has the ability to control and use kinetic energy.

Now according to a new report from the Louisiana Economic Development website, via CB, GAMBIT will reportedly have a production budget of approximately $154 million. This is a bit shocking of a budget report seeing as how GAMBIT is not as popular of a comic book character as Wolverine or Deadpool are. And this budget report is greater than the $120 million budget of THE WOLVERINE.

Quick note: As of the publishing of this post, the budget for DEADPOOL has yet to be disclosed but it has been said to be a quarter of the budget of most super hero movies. So think around the $50-$65 million range.

Getting back to GAMBIT, the reported $154 million budget seems steep for a new franchise movie property. Especially for a hero who has never been able to sustain a solo comic book series for an extended period of time outside of a mini-series here and there.

Maybe this report is wrong but if it's not then Fox is taking a big chance on GAMBIT with such a high budget. Even ANT-MAN only had a $130 million budget which is a lot but was also the lowest of any previous Marvel Studios movie before it.

GAMBIT is a fan favorite character in the X-Men universe (big fan of him here, too!) but Fox should consider shaving its budget down closer to the $120 million THE WOLVERINE had. A lower production cost means less risk in case the movie does not produce as big in the box office as the studio thinks it might perform.


Related Posts: GAMBIT Confirmed to Film in New Orleans This Fall and Channing Tatum is Working With a Magician to Learn Card Throwing

Channing Tatum Teases GAMBIT Being More of an Anti-Hero Hero Movie

To read more about GAMBIT, click here.