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Channing Tatum's 'X-Men' Spinoff to Hit Theaters in 2016

Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum

By Dave McNary

Twentieth Century Fox has set up Channing Tatum’s X-Men spinoff Gambit for Oct. 7, 2016.

The Gambit character, who debuted in 1990, is an expert card-thrower and has the power to manipulate kinetic energy.

Gambit, written by Joshua Zetumern, will be Fox’s eighth X-Men movie. It open less than five months after X-Men: Apocalypse debuts on May 27, 2016.

Fox also announced Monday that it had set or shifted dates for six other films — mostly notably, moving  its next Planet of the Apes movie back a year to July 14, 2017.

The studio had originally planned to open its ninth Planet of the Apes on July 29, 2016. Instead, Fox has taken its Fantastic Four sequel off July 14, 2017, and moved it forward six weeks to June 2, 2017.

Fox successfully rebooted the Apes franchise in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of Apes, which grossed $482 million worldwide. This year’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was even more successful with over $700 million.

Fox’s reboot of Fantastic Four, directed by Josh Trank and starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell, will open on Aug. 7.

Joshua Zetumer wrote the screenplay. It will face off against Warner Bros.’ Live By Night and Universal’s Monster High.

Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates, a comedy to be directed by Jake Szymanski, will hit theaters on July 29, 2016. A cast has yet to be announced for the film, which was written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien and centers on two brothers who post an online ad for wedding dates. The film currently has the date to itself.

Fox has shifted the next installment in its successful Planet of the Apes franchise off that July 29 date to one year later on July 14, 2017. And in turn, moved the sequel Fantastic Four 2 from July 14, 2017, up one month to June 2, 2017.

The studio dated two films for next year’s holiday season — vidgame adaptation Assassin’s Creed, starring Michael Fassbender with Justin Kurzel directing, has been dated for Dec. 21, 2016; and P.T. Barnum biopic The Greatest Showman on Earth, starring Hugh Jackman will open Dec. 25, 2016.

Romancer The Mountain Between Us, starring Charlie Hunnam and Rosamund Pike, has been set for a Feb. 10, 2017 — four days before Valentines Day.

Photo: Sony Pictures Classics