UPDATE: I’ve now got confirmation that Rupert Wyatt has in fact exited Gambit. There are rumors that there was some disagreement over script and budget, but the director’s camp says it came down to timing. The film was supposed to start in November, and it moved to March, clashing with another commitment, though they wouldn’t say what the other film is. Wyatt issued this statement: “I was very much looking forward to working with my friend Channing and the team at Fox, but regrettably a push in the start date now conflicts with another project. I thank them for the opportunity, and I know that Gambit will make a terrific film.”

Fox will move quickly to put a director in place, and they are still fully committed to the film. Tatum is starring with Lea Seydoux, who plays Bella Donna Bourdreaux.

EARLIER EXCLUSIVE: I’m hearing that Fox is going to have to find a new director for Gambit, the X-Men spinoff that will star Channing Tatum. Rupert Wyatt is leaving the picture, and I will tell you more about the circumstances as quickly as I can confirm it. Wyatt directed the franchise reviving Rise of the Planet of the Apes and then followed with the remake of The Gambler that starred Mark Wahlberg. The movie was scheduled to shoot down in the French Quarter in early spring.