Celebrity anti-Semite Mel Gibson is to produce and possibly direct a film about legendary Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee. Never saw that coming, did you?

Gibson has apparently been interested in Judah Maccabee’s story for years, and considered making a film about the iconic rebel as a follow up to his megahit The Passion of the Christ.

Judah Maccabee led a revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BC, and pretty much came up with the festival of Hanukkah when he ordered lavish celebrations to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. A temple which, for the record, was restored after he personally kicked the pagan Seleucids out and destroyed their idols (now you know where Jesus got it from). Quite a significant LAD, this Judah.

Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (Showgirls, Christ preserve us) is producing a screenplay, and Gibson – who’s currently producing for Warner Bros. through his company Icon – may yet decide to direct.

Anyone else think this is a bit of a loaded subject choice for the man who claimed that “the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world”? Hmm.