Following his return to Hollywood with Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson has confirmed his next film as director: a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s classic western, The Wild Bunch. According to Deadline, Gibson is set to executive produce the film for Warner Bros as well as directing, and will co-write the screenplay alongside Bryan Bagby. The original, released in 1969, followed a group of outlaws in the dying days of the old west who attempt to pull off one last job as a new industrial era encroaches. At the time it was considered a hugely violent movie – and considering Gibson’s gore-soaked directorial output, he seems a likely choice to continue that tradition.
The announcement suggests that Gibson’s other projects will simmer in the background for now – Deadline’s report claims that he’ll continue to work on WW2 drama Destroyer to star Mark Wahlberg, and he’s also apparently been working on a Passion of the Christ sequel called – no joke – Passion of the Christ: The Resurrection.
There’s no word on casting or a timeframe yet for this one, but with a writer-director and studio in place, expect some movement in the near future. With the Western having had somewhat of a resurgence in recent years – and other classics like The Magnificent Seven getting the remake treatment – it will be interesting to see what kind of traction a Wild Bunch do-over gets from audiences, and whether Gibson’s return to the good graces can continue.
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