Mel Gibson To Star In Jodie Foster’s ‘Beaver’

Fifteen years ago Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster starred together in Maverick. Now the pair are set to reunite in The Beaver.

It is believed that Foster will also direct the quirky drama that is expected to shoot this Fall in New York.

According to Variety:

“Gibson will play a depressed man who finds solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet. On top of helming, Foster will play the role of the man’s wife.

The budget for the film is $18-19 million, which is pretty economical when you consider that Gibson and Foster could conceivably each ask for that kind of salary when making a studio blockbuster. Financing for the film isn’t in place yet; it could be made independently or shopped to a studio now that the two A-listers are attached.

The much-lauded script by Kyle Killen has been included on “the black list” (a list of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays) and has made rounds around town with Steve Carrell and Jim Carrey both circling the project at various stages.

The Beaver sounds like an odd film (the script has been compared to Charlie Kaufman’s work), but Gibson has enough screen presence and quirky personality to make the role work, while Foster should have the required directing chops for it, having directed Little Man Tate and Home for the Holidays.

Gibson will next be seen in Edge of Darkness, his first film as an actor since 2002’s Signs.

The Beaver is tenatively slated for release in 2011.

Source: Variety