Some good news for some nervous backers of Mel Gibson's next film -- it seems as if most Americans are not going to let his alleged animalistic rantings at his former baby mama stop him from seeing "The Beaver."
A 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll shows that 76 percent of those who were asked the question, "Are you now less likely to see a Mel Gibson film as a result of the recent scandal?" answered that it would have "no effect."
The poll was taken from 847 adults over the phone nationwide. Only 20 percent said they were "less likely" to see the film.
Gibson's ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva was not polled, and she likely no longer answers her telephone for fear of the apparent consequences we all witnessed over the summer courtesy of Radaronline.com.
The question did not give an option for those who plan on "buying a ticket to Avatar's re-release and checking out what the movie with that Gibson guy was all about for a few minutes."
I digress. Indeed it all seems like Gibson's latest and prolonged audio scandal was a bit of a bad dream now that the smoke is beginning to clear. But during its two to three week run, the daily dose of ugly medicine seemed to be having a lasting effect.
While 20 percent against an actor right from the start is not something you want to have going into a movie, it should be considered good news at least.
In the wake of the scandal, there were various reports about Gibson's sure-thing demise at the box office. Gibson's last movie, "The Edge of Darkness" tanked and that was before his latest tabloid incident. And his alleged racist, threatening recorded calls seemed to be the nail in the coffin.
While the poll has not translated to box office at this point, it shows that there at least signs of real life.
And it should be a positive sign for Summit Entertainment, which still has yet to list a release date for the Jodie Foster directed "The Beaver." The film stars Gibson as a depressed CEO who communicates through a beaver handpuppet.
Summit was due to nail down a fall date right at the time the Gibson scandal started and wisely pulled back to see which way this is all going to play out in the longer-term.
