Disney goes ahead with Gibson film - MarketWatch, 8/1/06

[disneytim]

Disney goes ahead with Gibson film

Studio to distribute movie after debacle over star's arrest

By Russ Britt, MarketWatch
Last Update: 7:51 PM ET Aug 1, 2006

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Walt Disney Co. and Mel Gibson likely are thanking the forces of nature, and undoubtedly hope those same forces will help the controversy surrounding the star's arrest on drunk-driving charges blow over by the time his next movie is released.

Disney (DIS) said in a statement Tuesday that it was going ahead with the release of Gibson's "Apocalypto" on Dec. 8. The announcement comes even as Disney's ABC Network has said it is canceling a deal with Gibson to produce a Holocaust-related miniseries.

" 'Apocalypto' has completed filming and is currently in post-production," Disney studio spokeswoman Heidi Trotta said. "The film will be released as scheduled."

The studio, however, unwittingly sidestepped a public relations nightmare when it decided in April to push back the release of Gibson's film from its original date - which was scheduled for this Friday.

Full Story: Disney goes ahead with Gibson film

[Goofster]

Re: Disney goes ahead with Gibson film - MarketWatch, 8/1/06

If only he wouldnt have yelled at the police officer, it would have been less of an embarassment. I guess if he only wouldnt have consumed alcohol it wouldnt have happened. Ohh well. He made his bed and now hes got lay in it.

[Cousin Orville]

Re: Disney goes ahead with Gibson film - MarketWatch, 8/1/06

I heard they're renaming the movie "A-cop-mel-lipped-so"

[Gemini Cricket]

Re: Disney goes ahead with Gibson film - MarketWatch, 8/1/06

Count me as one who will not be seeing Mel's flick.

[BFJen]

Re: Disney goes ahead with Gibson film - MarketWatch, 8/1/06

And yet they still won't put out song of the south. Maybe Mel could bad mouth slavery and then they'd release it here.

[Hyperbole]

Re: Disney goes ahead with Gibson film - MarketWatch, 8/1/06

Mel's bigotry aside, I think this is a pretty shoddy business move on Disney's part. What kind of an audience are they expecting with a movie of this type? I can't imagine it'll do well in the theatre at all.