In this Nov. 16, 2017 file photo, Mel Gibson arrives at the premiere of "Daddys Home 2," in London. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) --
Mel Gibson will co-write and direct a remake of Sam Peckinpah's classic 1969 Western "The Wild Bunch."
Warner Bros. on Monday confirmed that Gibson will helm the production, with Bryan Bagby to co-write the script with him. It will be Gibson's first time directing since his 2016 World War II drama "Hacksaw Ridge," for which Gibson earned a best directing Oscar nomination.
"Hacksaw Ridge" was nominated for six Academy Awards including best picture. The Oscar reception was seen by some as a comeback for Gibson in Hollywood years after he pleaded no contest in 2011 to spousal battery of his former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. In 2006, he went on an anti-Semitic tirade while being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
No production start or release date for "The Wild Bunch" was announced. Gibson is first prepping a World War II drama to star Mark Wahlberg.
Comedian Russell Brand speaks in Parliament Square during a protest against the Conservative Government and its austerity policies in London, Saturday, June 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File)
The BBC has apologized to staff members who felt unable to complain about the conduct of actor and comedian Russell Brand because of his status after an internal review found that concerns about his behavior weren't handled appropriately.
The investigation by Peter Johnston, the BBC's director of editorial complaints, identified eight complaints about Brand, including allegations that he had sex on BBC premises and exposed himself in the studio. Only one of those complaints was formally made to management at the time, Johnston found.
"I am grateful to those who have come forward to talk to me and my team and I have apologized on behalf of the BBC to those most directly affected by what I have documented here,'' Johnston said in a report released Thursday. "The culture of the time undoubtedly influenced what was acceptable/tolerated, but I have found that a number of individuals had concerns about Russell Brand's behavior which they felt unable to raise then.''
The BBC launched its investigation after British media published claims by four women that they were sexually assaulted by Brand between 2006 and 2013, at the height of his fame. Brand had two weekly radio shows on the BBC from 2006 to 2008 and worked periodically on a number of short-term projects.
Brand, 49, has more recently created podcasts and YouTube videos that have been criticized for spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories. He has denied accusations of rape, assault and emotional abuse, and previously said all his sexual relationships were "absolutely always consensual.''
Johnston said he contacted Brand so he could provide his perspective on the investigation, but he chose not to participate.
The BBC acknowledged that it was "clear that presenters... Read More
