There was a time when we thought – not unreasonably – that Mel Gibson had reduced his career to a giant, smoking crater. But it would seem Hollywood is still willing to give him a second chance. He’s snagged several roles recently and is now in early talks to direct real-life conscientious objector drama Hacksaw Ridge, which has Andrew Garfield pondering the lead.
Randall Wallace co-wrote the script with Robert Schenkkan and was looking to direct it himself, but Gibson is now making tentative overtures for the director's chair.
Hacksaw Ridge is based on the true of Desmond T. Doss, who served as a US Army medic in World War II during the battle of Okinawa and refused to kill. Despite his objections, his incredible valour saving lives during the battle saw him awarded the Medal of Honor, the first time a conscientious objector has won the decoration.
If he does take the job, Gibson would be back in the director’s chair for the first time since Apocalypto. And working from a Wallace script would make something of a Braveheart reunion. As for Garfield, he was back on our screens in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and has Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes under his belt, with Martin Scorsese’s Silence next on his schedule.