Mel Gibson boards Judah Maccabee drama

By Adnan Tezer Sep 9, 2011, 19:01 GMT

Mel Gibson will develop a film with screenwriter Joe Eszterhas for Warner Bros. on Jewish hero Judah Maccabee.

According to Variety, Gibson will produce through his Icon Productions shingle and has an option to direct and star in the film if he chooses.

Eszterhas, who will write the script, is the screenwriter behind such sexually charged films as "Basic Instinct," "Flashdance" and "Showgirls" as well as the dramatic thrillers "Music Box" and "Betrayed."

Maccabee was one of the legendary Jewish warriors who, along with his father and four brothers, led a revolt against the Greek-Syrian Seleucid Empire and King Antiochus IV, who had conquered Judea in the second century B.C. and had outlawed Jewish religious practices.

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the Maccabees regaining control of Jerusalem and reconsecrating the Temple.

Despite Gibson's decade-long interest in the subject matter, the announcement is a surprise considering his history of anti-Semitic remarks and behavior.

Gibson was accused of anti-Semitism by several Jewish leaders in 2004 when he released his film "The Passion of the Christ."

Two years later, Gibson was arrested for driving under the influence and made anti-Semitic remarks to the arresting officer.

Gibson was last seen in Jodie Foster's "The Beaver" earlier this year and last directed "Apocalypto" in 2006.

His next film, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation," has not found a domestic distributor yet.