Mel Gibson to Direct and Co-Write ‘The Wild Bunch’ Remake

Actor Mel Gibson arrives at the UK Premiere of 'Daddy's Home 2' at Vue West End in London, England on Nov. 16, 2018. John Phillips/Getty Images

Mel Gibson is set to direct and co-write a remake of the 1969 film “The Wild Bunch” with Warner Bros., according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The script is being written by screenwriter Bryan Bagby and Gibson, who will also executive produce the new version of the movie.

The original film cast included William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, and Robert Ryan, while Sam Peckinpah was the director. “The Wild Bunch” was a controversial film for its violence at the time, but it’s still regarded as an American classic Western.

Through Gibson’s epic, award-winning movies such as “Braveheart,” “Apocalypto,” and the more recent “Hacksaw Ridge,” the 62-year-old veteran actor has distinguished himself as a skilled director.

Mel Gibson poses in the media room after winning the AACTA Award for Best Direction for Hacksaw Ridge at the 6th AACTA Awards Presented by Foxtel at The Star in Sydney, Australia on Dec. 7, 2016. Caroline McCredie/Getty Images for AFI

However, the news spurred some backlash on social media by users who called out Gibson’s past controversial remarks and behavioral issues.

In 2016, the actor opened up about his arrest in 2006 for DUI, when he was recorded saying discriminatory comments.

“Ten years have gone by,” Gibson told Variety. “I’m feeling good. I’m sober, all of that kind of stuff, and for me, it’s a dim thing in the past. But others bring it up, which kind of I find annoying, because I don’t understand why after 10 years it’s any kind of issue. Surely if I was really what they say I was, some kind of hater, there’d be evidence of actions somewhere. There never has been.”