Ho ho ho boy! A joyous scoop has been unwrapped courtesy of the Cannes Marché festival with regard to Mel Gibson suiting up as Jolly Old Saint Nicholas for FATMAN, an action-oriented black comedy that is now up for grabs to potential buyers. Fortitude is putting a big red bow on the international sales rights with the intention of showcasing the package to studios next week.
FATMAN, which is scheduled to roll into production early next year in Canada, is said to tell the unconventional holiday tale of a rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus (Gibson) who is fighting his business decline. Meanwhile, Billy, a neglected and precocious 12 year old, hires a hit man to kill Santa after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking.
Directing the dark premise will be brothers Ian and Eshom Nelms, who've also written the script. In the past, the duo have co-directed films projects such as SMALL TOWN CRIME, WAFFLE STREET, LOST ON PURPOSE as well as a number of notable short films, including HARD TO SWALLOW, HEAVY PETTING, and THE QUEST.
Most recently, Gibson's DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE hit the home release pavement on April 30th. In the action crime drama directed and written by S. Craig Zahler, Gibson stars as Brett Ridgeman alongside Vince Vaughn's Anthony Lurasetti, for a film that centers on two overzealous cops who get suspended from the force. After going on their unceremonious sabbatical, they must delve into the criminal underworld to get their proper compensation.
Next up for the BRAVEHEART and LETHAL WEAPON franchise actor is Farhad Safinia's THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN. For the feature, Gibson stars as Professor James Murray, who begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid 19th century. During the process, Muray receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor.
We'll be sure to bring you more news about FATMAN as the project comes together.