PLANET OF THE APES Reboot Director Rupert Wyatt to Helm GAMBIT Movie

Fox's expanding X-Men universe has found its next big-name director. Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt will helm Gambit, Entertainment Weekly reported on Monday.

Gambit will star Channing Tatum as the titular character. The actor has been talking about this role for years. With Fox expanding its X-Men universe from just the core X-Men films, Gambit is a big piece in the megafranchise's chances at success. The studio has slated Gambit for Oct. 7, 2016.

Wyatt earned rave reviews for his directorial work on Rise of the Planet of the Apes. After delivering a movie featuring a motion-capture ape that emotionally connected with audiences, Wyatt shouldn't have any issue guiding Tatum as a card-throwing Cajun in Gambit.