Mel Gibson is set to extend his directorial resume with a remake of the classic 1969 western The Wild Bunch for Warner Bros.
The Hacksaw Ridge and The Passion of the Christ director is also set to co-write the new version with Bryan Bagby, as well as serve as executive producer.
The original epic western was directed by Sam Peckinpah and starred William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Warren Oates, Jaime Sánchez and Ben Johnson. It followed an ageing outlaw gang on the Mexico–United States border trying to adapt to the changing modern world of 1913, but things get complicated when they are pursued by a posse led by a former partner they double-crossed.
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The film was noted for its intricate, multi-angle, quick-cut editing using normal and slow motion images, a revolutionary cinema technique in 1969. It also caused controversy for its use of graphic violence and its portrayal of crude men attempting to survive by any available means.
Whether Gibson’s version will be a straight remake or adapted for the modern age is not clear at this stage. The remake has been on the books for a while at Warner Bros and at one stage even had Will Smith set to star.
Gibson’s career has experienced a bit of a jump start after he hit rock bottom due to his eyebrow-raising opinions. He has returned to acting with a role in Daddy’s Home 2, playing the father of Mark Wahlberg’s Dusty. He also garnered an Oscar nomination for his return to directing on 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge. He is currently seeking financing for his World War II film Destroyer.
