Mel Gibson is a widespread name as he has a flourishing career not only as an actor but also as a producer, screenwriter, and director. As a result, he has worked in over 60 films and has received multiple awards that back his charismatic and outstanding performances. As an actor, he has worked in several genres of films such as thriller, drama, romance, comedy, horror, and many more.
But Mel Gibson had gained widespread recognition for his role in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi franchise, Mad Max. The actor is not afraid of taking on new roles, and he thought of looking for a new challenge by working in a film called The Professor and The Madman but things turned went south for the film to the point of Gibson slamming it in an interview.
Mel Gibson Regrets Working in The Professor and The Madman
In 2016, Mel Gibson worked in Farhad Safinia’s The Professor and The Madman, the biographical drama film that was an adaptation of Simon Winchester’s 1998 book The Surgeon of Crowthorne. The Braveheart actor was originally meant to write the script for the 2019 film, but he ended up hiring the Boss screenwriter when he decided to star in the film.
However, things got ugly when in 2017, when the project was nearing completion. Gibson’s Icon production company sued Voltage Pictures, as he claimed that poor finance distribution had affected Safinia to finish the film. In an interview with Deadline, Mel Gibson clarified that neither he nor Farhad Safinia acted in a way that made the film go over budget, adding how he was an admirer of Winchester’s 1998 book.
“Neither Farhad Safinia nor I ever walked off of the set or caused the film to ever go over budget. As partners in Icon Productions, Bruce Davey and I are huge fans of Simon Winchester’s best-selling book on which the script was based and worked for 20 years to bring this amazing story to the screen.”
The Beaver actor continued that the entire creative had toiled tirelessly in the 2019 film, hence it is disheartening that the “film was never finished as written.” Gibson added making money was never his primary goal, and the final version by Voltage Pictures “ is a bitter disappointment to me.” a bitter disappointment to me.”
“This was a labour of love for the entire creative team, and it is unfortunate for all concerned that this film was never finished as written. I regret that this film will never be seen as it was meant to be. Making it was never about money for Icon; it was about bringing this amazing story to the big screen. Sadly that has not happened in the way it could have. The Voltage version of this film is a bitter disappointment to me.”
In addition to the lawsuit, The Professor and the Madman was released in only limited theatres in 2019, earning only $6.3 million at the box office. But that was not the end of the story as it was bombarded with poor reviews, making one question if Gibson made the right decision to be a part of the film.
Mel Gibson Wasn’t Pleased To Meet With Tom Hardy
Mel Gibson had built a legacy in the post-apocalyptic franchise as he had previously worked in three Mad Max films alongside directors, George Ogilvie, and George Miller. However, in 2015, Gibson was replaced by Tom Hardy in the new Mad Max movie, Mad Max: Fury Road. The actor was too old to play the new version of Max Rockatansky, also he was surrounded by controversies. Hence, Gibson was forced to part ways with the franchise.
However, when Tom Hardy met the Get the Gringo actor to discuss the iconic role in the series, Hardy realized that Gibson was not too pleased to meet him.
“He was bored with me,” Hardy said. “He said, ‘All right, buddy, good luck with that.’”
The Venom actor added that he talked to Gibson for a couple of hours, and that was the only time they met.
“I made him a bracelet. And then we talked for a couple of hours about all kinds of stuff. I left, and that was that. And then he called up my agent and said, ‘I think you found someone that’s crazier than I am.’”
Tom Hardy stated that Mel Gibson did not act as a role model or idol who helped him to embody the role for the film. However, Hardy is a versatile actor and he pulled off the role flawlessly.
The Professor and The Madman can be rented on AppleTV.
Source: Deadline
