Hollywood stars crossing over into television is nothing new at this point. It’s becoming increasingly common for networks to fill their schedules with limited series that allow actors to sign-up without committing to years on a single project. So this next bit of news probably isn’t as surprising as it might be on first glance: Mel Gibson is set to direct, co-write, and co-star in a new series that is being put together by a production company.
The series is based on the book The Barbary Coast by Herbert Asbury, author of Gangs of New York. It will star Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson and is being described thusly:
The Barbary Coast begins with The Gold Rush in 1849 which saw the biggest influx of gold-seekers, gamblers, thieves, harlots, politicians and other felonious parasites to the infant city. Thus arose a unique criminal district that for almost seventy years was the scene of more viciousness and depravity – yet at the same time possessed more glamour and intrigue – than any other area of vice and iniquity on the American continent.
Short of a Machete Kills here or an Expendables there, things had been mighty quiet on the Mel Gibson front for a few years. (There are… reasons for this, partly having to do with Gibson choosing to step away from Hollywood a bit and partly having to do with… other reasons that you might remember.) But now he’s starring in Blood Father, directing big WWII movies, and signing up for sweeping television shows about 19th century charlatans. It appears Mel Gibson is back. The only question now is where/when this finds a home on a network or streaming service.
(Via Deadline)
