Pretty soon, Mel Gibson is really only going to be interested in playing characters that sport full beards. Recently, his film, “The Professor and the Madman,” showcased a bearded Gibson. And when he’s not filming something, the beard is his go-to facial hair option. So, it was only a matter of time before he put that scruff to good use, playing the bearded man Santa Claus.
Deadline is reporting that Mel Gibson has signed on to star as jolly Saint Nick in the upcoming dark action comedy “Fatman.” The film puts a slightly twisted take on the classic Christmas story by having a 12-year-old hire a hitman to take out Santa Claus after the bearded man put a lump of coal in his stocking. The film is the brainchild of writers-directors Ian and Eshom Nelms.
READ MORE: ‘The Professor & The Madman’ Trailer: Bearded Mel Gibson & Sean Penn Write The Dictionary
“I am excited to be working with the incredibly talented Nelms brothers who have written a unique, highly entertaining script,” producer Nadine de Barros said. “Mel is the perfect choice as Chris Cringle like we’ve never seen him before. I couldn’t be more thrilled to watch this darkly comedic Christmas film come to life.”
Not everyone is as excited as de Barros, however. Seth Rogen, the comedic actor from a number of films and someone raised in the Jewish faith, went to Twitter to voice his disapproval of Gibson playing Santa.
Rogen tweeted, “Ho-ho-holocaust denier.”
This is, of course, in reference to Gibson’s anti-Semitic rants that were well-documented a number of years ago, as well as the fact that his father is a noted Holocaust denier. While the actor seems to be one of the few that have rebounded from bigoted comments and gone on to become a major name in Hollywood once again, there are plenty of film fans, as well as other actors, that are willing to call him out.
There’s no release date for “Fatman,” but filming is set to begin early next year.
https://twitter.com/Sethrogen/status/1126341083405869056
