‘Fatman’ First-Look Image Reveals Mel Gibson As A Stressed-Out Santa

Mel Gibson is going to play Santa Claus. Ruminate on that one for a moment, given the actor’s sordid history. But he’s no your typically lovable Santa, not in the upcoming film Fatman, which has just dropped its first image after being acquired by Saban Films.

The image shows Gibson with a thick shock of white hair on his head and on his face, and a tension grip, probably to help relieve the stress of his failing business empire. That didn’t stop Santa from giving a precocious 12-year-old boy a lump of coal in his stocking, causing the child to hire a hitman, played by Walton Goggins, to kill Santa.

The film is by writers/directors Eshom and Ian Nelms, who previously-directed Small Town Crimes, also under Saban Films.

Fatman is expected to open later this year, probably right around the holidays.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.