Director Rupert Wyatt's Gambit movie may be in serious trouble now that it's been revealed that Channing Tatum could possibly leave the project. Whether or not he goes, however, the film will continue, and that means adding to the cast. Apparently while dealing with the Tatum situation, Fox is working to cast the movie's female lead, and it appears that Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol star Lea Seydoux is a candidate for the part.
In The Wrap's report about Channing Tatum's deal with Fox falling apart, the trade offhandedly mentions that the film is currently working to find a female lead, and that French actress Lea Seydoux is one name that they are considering. Unfortunately, the report makes no mention of exactly what the part will be - but there have been a few clues.
This past weekend, a casting call found its way online, and it detailed the specific qualities that Gambit is looking for in various characters - including what appears to be the female lead. The description of the role wasn't incredibly detailed, but described the target actress as mid-20s-early 30s, and "beautiful, smart, tough, fiery and unpredictable." Knowing what we know about Gambit's history in the comics, it's likely that this is a description of Bella Donna Boudreaux, a childhood friend of Gambit's (real name Remy LeBeau) and a member of the Assassins Guild. She is arranged to be married to Remy - a member of the rival Thieves Guild - but things wind up going really wrong.
Now 30 years old and given her past work, Lea Seydoux definitely seems like a great fit for the role - especially because her French accent will translate well to a Cajun environment. The stunning actress/model is best known for her work in her home country (such as Blue Is The Warmest Color), though she has had a taste of Hollywood filmmaking thanks to roles in movies like Woody Allen's Midnight In Paris, Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Brad Bird's aforementioned Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - in which she got to show off some pretty badass fighting skills:
Things may change in the next few days as 20th Century Fox works out the situation with Channing Tatum, but for now the plan is to have production start on Gambit this fall in New Orleans. Filming is expected to last few months, and then after a thorough post-production process the movie will be on its way to theaters on October 7, 2016.
