Mel Gibson Will Suit Up As Santa Claus In Christmas Movie ‘Fatman’
By Ben Pearson/May 8, 2019 2:00 pm EST
The Hollywood Reporter says that this Mel Gibson Santa Claus movie is not some elaborate joke, but in fact a real project that’s looking for funding at Cannes this year. Here’s how the outlet describes the film:
Ian and Eshom Nelms (Small Town Crime, Waffle Street, Lost on Purpose) wrote the script and will direct together.
The notion of Santa being played by an action star isn’t new – Kurt Russell played him for Netflix in last year’s The Christmas Chronicles, and even wrestler Bill Goldberg suited up at St. Nick in the horror film Santa’s Slay. Gibson’s resume is full of action movies, so I suppose, if you squint and twist yourself into a pretzel, you can make this casting make sense in terms of continuing that legacy. On the other hand, this is Mel Gibson we’re talking about. While Hollywood has clearly forgiven him for his myriad off-screen transgressions, there’s something inherently troubling to me about a beloved children’s icon being portrayed by a guy who once told his girlfriend, “You look like a fucking bitch in heat, and if you get raped by a pack of ni**ers it’ll be your fault. All right? Because you provoked it.”
“I am excited to be working with the incredibly talented Nelms Brothers who have written a unique, highly entertaining script,” said producer Nadine de Barros. “Mel is the perfect choice as Kris Kringle like we’ve never seen him before. I couldn’t be more thrilled to watch this darkly comedic Christmas film come to life.”
Filming is scheduled to begin in Canada early next year.
