No, really.

In a development that has me squinting my eyes as if I were Josh Hartnett trying to emote, Deadline is reporting that Mel Gibson will make a… Jewish warrior the subject of his next film. Specifically, Judah Maccabee, who “teamed with his father and four brothers to lead the Jewish revolt against the Greek-Syrian armies that had conquered Judea in the second century B.C.”

The screenplay will be written by Joe Eszterhas, best known for his work from the mid-’80s to the mid-’90s, including Jagged Edge, Basic Instinct, and Showgirls. One of his scripts, Music Box, even deals with war crimes in World War II; a tenuous connection, but it’s something to consider.

It isn’t said if Gibson will actually direct, but he’s producing through his Icon Productions, with a first option to direct. If that weren’t enough, this is said to be something that he’s had his eye on for years. This has obviously taken on a whole new context in the time since he first planned it, however.

Now, I don’t want to discuss the personal events surrounding Gibson‘s life over the past five years or so, but I will say that anyone who looks at this can’t possibly get past some of his public comments — oh, and that movie. The Deadline article points out that a historical epic is the kind of film he loves to direct, but wouldn’t he be better served to try something a little less open to controversy? There was his Viking epic that would have starred Leonardo DiCaprio, before the actor bailed — he should try and resurrect that. Otherwise, let the jokes commence.

Would you want to see Gibson direct a film that has an unpleasant connection of sorts to his own life? Are you a fan of his work behind the camera?