As if being dropped by his own talent agency was not enough to show Mel Gibson that the industry is not even considering (at least right now) giving him another chance, Leonardo DiCaprio is also backing out of a collaboration because of the ongoing media scandal. The two were supposed to work together on a film on Vikings but, because of the bad press Mel’s been getting these days for the abuse he put his ex through, DiCaprio has decided it’s best to call it quits,
Radar Online says.
When all this began, when Oksana Grigorieva made the first allegations of abuse against Gibson, Leo refrained from doing or saying something that he may have come to regret later, and decided to wait it out. However, as the days go by and more and more tapes emerge in the press, people are starting to turn their backs on the once legendary actor and director. The last thing DiCaprio wants right now is to be associated with someone who’s officially been blacklisted in Hollywood, sources are saying.
“Leonardo DiCaprio is withdrawing from a Mel Gibson-directed flick about Vikings in the wake of the domestic abuse scandal, Radar Online has exclusively confirmed. ‘Not a chance,’ said a source, close to the Inception star, when asked if he was still planning to star in Gibson’s next project. The decision is a major setback for the Oscar-winning actor / director, who is facing allegations of domestic abuse and child endangerment,” Radar writes.
“It also lends support to critics who are suggesting Mel won’t be able to recover from the Oksana Grigorieva scandal. The Viking film was to be DiCaprio’s first picture with Mel. A source close to DiCaprio said the star, who is currently basking in the release of his wildly acclaimed box-office topping movie Inception, did not want to risk his reputation, with being associated with Mel. ‘Leo has earned the right to pick and choose who he works with and Mel Gibson is not one of them,’ the source added. The as-yet untitled project is being produced by Graham King and Mel’s Icon Productions,” the same e-zine goes on to say.
The film was supposed to start shooting in the fall of this year, with a yet-unannounced release date. Word in the industry has it the film was meant to be made in the vein of Gibson’s critically acclaimed “Apocalypto” but whether it will be possible now that its main star has backed out on such short notice remains to be seen. Calls to DiCaprio’s representative for comments have not been returned – but do keep an eye on this space for when they are.
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