Cross out Steve Carell. Put an X on Jim Carrey’s name. Insert Mel Gibson who might not be the first actor when you think comedy, but the director’s chair has Jodie Foster in it and she probably knows his skill set since they once teamed on 1994’s The Maverick. The lucky director and actor get to work on last year’s Blacklist’s top vote-getter for the best unproduced sceenplay. Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Keith Redmon will produce The Beaver and are looking to get this into production right away – as early as this September in New York city.
A couple of pages into Kyle Killen’s screenplay and you think of Lars and The Real Girl. Both scripts feature men who are in a depressive-like state and who somehow find refuge in fake accompaniment. Gibson will play Walter Black, a father of two and depressed man who finds solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet. Foster will play the role of the man’s wife. The pic would be shot for a cool 18 million to 20 million range.
Gibson recently starred in Warner Bros. Edge of Darkness – due out next year.
