Ok, so yesterday was a double whammy of big news. The most important around these parts was definitely Robert Rodriguez getting off his butt and beginning casting on Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, with plans to shoot this summer. The other news was considerably more fun, though, as Mel Gibson saw his already cruddy image further tarnished by more accusations of racism and anti-Semitism, courtesy of lengthy letter by writer, Joe Eszterhas. Now those two stories are merging in a way that could make for some interesting fireworks.
In Deadline's piece about the Sin City sequel, there was an important tidbit about Machete Kills, Rodriguez's follow-up to the uber violent film which starred Danny Trejo. Set to begin production soon(if the schedule holds), Rodriguez is apparently seeking Mel Gibson and Michelle Williams to turn up for unspecified roles. First, Williams would be the bigger get by far, as the frequent Oscar nominee hasn't taken on a movie like Machete...well, ever. And frankly she seems a little out of place amidst the grime and exploitative muck that Machete promises. It'd be awesome, but I doubt she'd actually agree.
Gibson, on the other hand, would make a lot of sense. After this latest kerfuffle, Gibson is going to find chances to redeem himself few and far between, and hamming it up in a movie like Machete Kills could be just what the doctor(and his agent) ordered. Plus, Rodriguez isn't beyond giving a helping hand to actors who could use a bit of a lift. Lindsay Lohan was given a memorable role in Machete, although she botched it up by looking like she had just come off an all night coke binge.
That said, when Todd Phillips tried to get Gibson to be in The Hangover Part II, the cast and crew revolted. What if Rodriguez tried to do the same thing here? I'd wager that a pissed Danny Trejo is a hell of a lot more terrifying than a miffed Bradley Cooper, and that nobody on the Machete Kills set is going to take to having a noted racist in their midst. It could make for some awesome set photos, though!
