Mel Gibson Hasn’t Given Up His Viking Movie, BERSERKER; Co-Wrote New Draft with BRAVEHEART Screenwriter Randall Wallace

by     Posted 1 year, 132 days ago

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Even though The Beaver flopped and his latest movie, Get the Gringo is going straight-to-DVD, Mel Gibson hasn’t given up his larger aspirations.  Two years ago, Mel Gibson was developing a Viking movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but the project fell apart when DiCaprio bailed in July 2010.  But at a recent American Cinematheque Q&A, Gibson says the project is alive and he’s written a new draft of the script with Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace.

Hit the jump for more, including an update on Gibson’s Judah Maccabee movie.

mel-gibson-01At the Cinematheque Q&A (via LA Times with transcription by The Playlist) Gibson said that his Vikings will be “very unsympathetic characters and these guys will be bad.”  He added that the film, entitled Berserker, will be “real and visceral.”  Translation: violent beyond all reason.  Here’s the funny thing: as violent as Gibson will make his movie, he might still get beat on that level by Nicolas Winding Refn‘s 2009 Viking movie, Valhalla Rising.

As for his Judah Maccabee film, Gibson commented on the project (which is being written by Joe Eszterhas):

That’s from the last two books of the Old Testament, which is like; [turns to audience] just read it some time. Maccabee 1 and 2. Just read it, it’s like a Western. It’s an amazing story. It’s heroic beyond belief. The entire might of the Seleucid Empire, which was Persia, their whole objective at the time was to wipe Judea off the map and they almost did it except for this little hold out that miraculously grew and wanted it all back again.”

It’s a funny project for Gibson considering that The Passion of the Christ depicts Jews as monstrous, and there was also that one time where he was drunk and said that Jews were responsible for all the wars in the world.  So…bygones?  Not quite.  While the Sunday School version of the Maccabees has them as the heroes of Hanukkah, in reality they were guerilla fighters who “destroyed pagan altars in the villages, circumcised boys and forced Jews into outlawry.”  The larger point is this: Gibson is planning another violent historical drama and he probably doesn’t care who the protagonists are.

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Comments:
  • Tarek

    Walaaaaace!
    Don’t give up Mel. We love your work.

  • drod

    I hope this happens. Gibson is a Artist, leave him be!

  • Dan

    i love ya Matt, but i think its time we start leaving Mel’s past problems out of news stories. You don’t have to like the guy, but its just a movie.

  • Mike

    I think people need to stop b****ing about Mel Gibson’s past. Sure, he’s had a few mess ups, but who cares? Get over it. The guy is one of the best actors and filmmakers of all-time, so let him make his movies, which will undoubtedly make millions upon millions, and will be something that most movies today are not… GOOD!

  • Tim

    ^^^

    I hope this move gets made!!

  • David

    You need to polish up on your bible studies. They were monstrous. They crucified Jesus (who was a Jew). And in the film, as in the bible, it was the Romans who actually committed the violence on Jesus, not the Jews.

  • Brian

    Historically speaking, Matt, the Jews were the antagonists in the story of Jesus Christ. Specifically, the Sanhedrin. So it would have been very difficult to make a movie where they come out looking like noble patriarchs since they were setting out to a murder an innocent man. Secondly, every good guy is also a Jew, including Jesus and, well, everyone. That’s rather like trying to bash Public Enemies because it portrays Americans so poorly.

  • BrandonHeat07

    Keep’em coming Mel!! TRULY looking forward to his take on the Vikings, especially after Apocalypto which just totally rocked!! Get Gringo also looks to be on good tracks… Go Mel!!

  • Northern Star

    As the late and great Ronald Reagan once quipped, “there you go again”, you really need to get a life Matt, was that a news story or your own personal editorial?

    How did Mel portray the Jews as “monstrous”, the entire film was ABOUT A JEW, you knucklehead, and who of us hasn’t talked garbage after a few jars (I talk nonsense when I’m stone-cold sober!), Mel’s only human… besides, considering the grief so-called ‘liberal’ and oh-so ‘tolerant’ ideologues like you put him and his family through in the run up to the release of ‘The Passion…’, it’s any wonder he harbours some resentment!

    I sincerely hope Mel directs both ‘Bezerker’ (which he’ll probably fund himself with unknown actors) and the Maccabees film, he’s easily one of the greatest directors in the business, and will rise phoenix-like from the ashes of recent years…

  • melanarus

    “you really need to get a life Matt, was that a news story or your own personal editorial?”

    I’m getting pretty tired of having to read Matt’s personal editorials everyday on this site too, I could give a shit on his views on anything. Just give me the news and save your personal views on Hollywood goings on for a blog or something else.

    Please Matt, just write the story ABOUT the story and not personal views on the actors or directors, I really could care less.

  • Brendan

    “The Passion of the Christ depicts Jews as monstrous”

    I don’t think we saw the same movie…

  • Roy Baty

    John Landis was still allowed to work in Hollywood after Twilight Zone. Woody Allen is highly respected in the industry even though he was having midnight trysts with his girlfriend’s adopted daughter. Roman Polanski had a standing ovation at the Academy Awards despite being a rapist. Mel Gibson got really really drunk, talked some smack (isn’t that what happens when you get really really drunk?) and now people think he’s Hitler.

  • espen

    I hope this movie will be historically correct, compared to every other hollywood viking movie.

  • BixNood

    Tell us how you really feel about Mel, Mr. Goldberg.

  • ryan morson

    I love seeing all this support for Mel, finally. He truly is one of the best in the biz and I’ve been following the Viking movie since he announced it. I’m sure its going to be amazing.

    Matt Goldberg is a moron.

  • Baron

    Yes! Looking forward a lot to both of these. Not enough good directors create movies based on history.

  • Inga Wik

    Hope this project will come true. I would like to see the swedish filmstar Mikael Persbrandt in this movie. But maybe he is too controversal for the Hollywood filmindustry.

  • Martin, England

    Will this film make the Vikings the all conquering good guys and the English in the sneaky cowards. Mel Gibson seems to enjoy his anti English stance.

  • Robert of Liverpool

    I have to agree with the comment above; Gibson is a well-known Anglophobe. I expect this film will portray the English as effete, effeminate slimeballs (although somehow able to conquer their manly viking foes) while the Vikings, like the Scots in Braveheart, will be proper, salt-of-the-earth types who throw off their English oppressors. It’ll be fun counting all the historical inaccuracies – perhaps we could have a sweepstake on how many historical liberties Gibson takes? My bet is 274…

  • mike

    Valhalla Rising SUCKED! I’m sorry but it’s true. I really respect Nicholas Winding Refn too I loved Drive. but no. Valhalla Rising couldve been really cool but it got so effin weird at the end. dont waste ur time. I am really hoping BERSERKER gets made. Mel can do movies. APOCALYPTO AND BRAVEHEART were amazing films. I just hope BERSERKER matches up and frankly, I’m glad DiCaprio is out. I dont care for him anyway and I’d rather see this movie make money from merit and cinematography and writing and action than big name celebs. THERE ARE LIKE NO VIKING MOVIES WHY NOT? CANT WAIT FOR BERSERKER. EVERYONE WILL SEE IT. MEL IF YOU OR SOMEONE WHO HAS YOUR EAR IS READING THIS PLEASEEEEE COMPLETE THIS PROJECT WE LOVE YA MAN.

  • Matt

    Looking forward to it!

  • Kiley

    The viking genre has been, and always will be my favorite of all time. I have been waiting for ages for a high budget viking film that is horrifically bloody and more or less historically accurate. I had (VERY) modest hopes for Pathfinder and it was the biggest disappointment ever. A Viking Saga: Son of Thor was better than Pathfinder with a fraction of the budget. It’s a shame that the best viking film ever made in the United States was filmed back in the 1950′s. When I found out Mel Gibson was planning a viking movie I knew it would have the three things I have always wanted; a high budget, gore beyond imagination, and accurate representation of viking culture. If this film goes through, I know Mel will deliver.

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  • neofito

    Go Gibson, we need your vision in another movie

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  • Lynn

    As a new historical fiction novelist and have written on the Viking era (Frey’s Saga), I can honestly say I’m looking forward to this movie.

  • Lynn

    As a new historical fiction novelist and have written on the Viking era (Frey\’s Saga), I can honestly say I\’m looking forward to this movie.

  • Chic Lurch

    Mel,

    You are the best…….for your next filming project please consider producing the “Seige of Malta”…about the epic defense of the island of Malta by the outnumbered Knights of St. John against Suleiman the Magnificent and the Ottoman Turks in 1565. Anthony Hopkins can play the 72 year old Grand Master of the Knights Jean Parisot de la Valette who lead the Knights to a stunning victory that saved the Western Mediterranean from Ottoman expansion….and maybe Europe itself!!!

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