Mel Gibson’s latest career news is that he’ll star in the black comedy Rothchild, alongside Shia LaBeouf. The Lethal Weapon star has several upcoming projects, and this new one is again drawing attention from social media — much of it negative — because of the subject matter.

Rothchild is described as a film about Becket Rothchild (played by LaBeouf), whose mother was disowned by one of New York’s wealthiest families when he was a baby. As an adult, Becket schemes to quietly get inside the Rothchilds’ upper-crust world, eliminate the family members standing in his way and claim his birthright.

Mel Gibson's new movie is Rothchild. (Photo: Jerritt Clark/WireImage)

Gibson stars as family patriarch Whitelaw, the villain of the movie. None of this sits well with those who recall Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks recorded in the police report for his July 2006 arrest on suspicion of drunk driving. According to police, Gibson said several profanities about Jews and that, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.”

Gibson apologized for his words at the time and stopped drinking alcohol, which he said had caused his rant.

When he was asked about the incident during an Oct. 2016 interview with Variety, he was frustrated.

“It was an unfortunate incident,” Gibson said. “I was loaded and angry and arrested. I was recorded illegally by an unscrupulous police officer who was never prosecuted for that crime. And then it was made public by him for profit, and by members of — we’ll call it the press. So, not fair. I guess as who I am, I’m not allowed to have a nervous breakdown, ever.”

He continued, “Ten years have gone by. 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.”

Reaction to the news Gibson will now star in Rothchild was swift — and negative.

Who better to explore and parody anti-semitic tropes than *checks notes* Mel Gibson? https://t.co/UVMxEhh6b3 — Dean (@Herne_TheHunter) May 13, 2019

Mel Gibson, same dude who gave us "Fucking Jews... Jews are responsible for all wars in the world." Is starring as the "sinister grandfather" in "Rothchild," a "black comedy."



It's chilling.https://t.co/t4JxEWYHBr — Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg (@TheRaDR) May 13, 2019

a) Every story about Mel Gibson should mention how much he hates Jews, and I’m always shocked when it doesn’t??



b) Why is Mel Gisbon making a “satire” about the Rothchilds and why is anyone else involved?!



c) How is it only Mondayhttps://t.co/kL6t0kWu3H — Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) May 13, 2019

If you think Jews control Hollywood, just realize, we weren’t able to keep Mel Gibson from having a comeback. — Peter Fox (@thatpeterfox) May 13, 2019

mel gibson: *threatens to burn down his wife’s home, rape her, hopes she gets raped, calls her all kinds of bitches and whores, says black people are animals, and says jewish people started all the world’s wars*



hollywood: what a misunderstood guy :/ — dj bigoted lesbian (@immensepressure) May 9, 2019

In which noted anti-Semite Mel Gibson is starring in a film about a "sinister" Jewish member of a Jewish family that's been the subject of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories for centuries.



This is fine.https://t.co/iucWARdAIl — S. (@MxS_510) May 13, 2019

Who better to explore and parody anti-semitic tropes than *checks notes* Mel Gibson? https://t.co/UVMxEhh6b3 — Dean (@Herne_TheHunter) May 13, 2019

Mel Gibson making a "comedy" about killing a rich Jewish family who stop the protagonist (?) from having what he thinks is rightfully his?



How does this get made? I wouldn't believe @TheOnion if they ran this story.

https://t.co/u6HAzRXgx6 — The Fox That Was Promised (@foxbeacon) May 13, 2019

Rothchild is one of several movies Gibson has in the works, including one in which he plays Santa Claus.

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