Walt Disney Co.'s ABC Television Network pulled the plug on a miniseries about the Holocaust that it was developing with Mel Gibson's production company, after the actor allegedly made anti-Semitic remarks when he was arrested last week on suspicion of drunken driving.Mr. Gibson was arrested Thursday night in Malibu, Calif. His conduct prompted criticism from Jewish groups and Hollywood executives, with one prominent agent calling for a boycott of the actor and director.
The incident raised questions about the future of projects Mr. Gibson and his Icon Productions company are working on, most notably a television miniseries based on a memoir about a Dutch Jew during World War II.
"Given that it has been nearly two years and we have yet to see the first draft of a script, we have decided to no longer pursue this project with Icon," an ABC representative said late yesterday. The representative declined to comment further on why the project had been shelved.
Mr. Gibson apologized during the weekend for his "belligerent behavior," saying "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable." Mr. Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, added yesterday: "Mel has entered into an ongoing program of recovery."
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