Mel Gibson may just be gleefully screwing with us, but in MovieWeb’s interview for his delightful new film Monster Summer, he addressed his recent trip to Malta for location-scouting, which was widely reported to be for his upcoming sequel to The Passion of the Christ. If he is psyching us out, it’s a rather detailed and delightful diversion. When asked about his trip to Malta (where he met Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela) and what direction his sequel to the religious drama was taking, Gibson responded by saying:
“Sure, well, there’s that, but there’s also — I’m also working on a
TV limited series about the Siege of Malta, which is an incredible story
, and there’s only one place to film that, I mean, in Malta. Because that’s where it happened, at these fortresses where 700 knights defended Malta against an onslaught from the Turkish and Suleiman sent 40,000 men and ships and, wow, the knights won. So, it’s a pretty crazy, great story.”
When asked how he was involved (since Gibson wears so many hats as a writer, director, actor, and producer), he explained:
I’d like to be in it, but I don’t know if I’ll have the time, you know? But I certainly want to be like a producer of it, and I’ve worked with a very talented writer on the script, so it’s going to be good for somebody. I know that it’s a great story.
Mel Gibson Is a Busy Man
When Gibson says, “I don’t know if I’ll have the time,” he’s not exaggerating. He’s been a very busy actor recently, having starred in Last Looks, Panama, Bandit, Hot Seat, Father Stu, Agent Game, On the Line, Desperation Road, Confidential Informant, Boneyard, and the upcoming Monster Summer in just the past few years. Additionally, he directed an anticipated new thriller called Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace, and Michelle Dockery, which was recently postponed until a January 2025 release date. Additionally, there’s Lethal Weapon 5 down the line.
Of course, there’s also his continuation of The Passion of the Christ, one of the most successful films ever made (and one of the most visceral and, to many, powerful). There have been reports that filming for the follow-up will begin in 2025 after he finishes his press tour for Flight Risk in January. Whether he’ll film it in Malta (and perhaps film it simultaneously with this limited series) is still not guaranteed. It’s hard to guarantee much of anything; you know what they say, one way to make God laugh is to tell God your plans. So we’ll have to see what comes of this series with Mel’s Maltese battalion and if it’s really the stuff that dreams are made of.
In the meantime, there’s Monster Summer. Gibson stars as a cantankerous but quietly suffering retiree who slowly befriends a young baseball player (Mason Thames of The Black Phone) who believes that a monster is sucking the souls out of his friends. It’s a fun throwback-style film that brings to mind Hocus Pocus, Fright Night, and classic Amblin movies. Monster Summer will be released in theaters Oct. 4, 2024.