Disney faces tough sell for next Gibson movie

Will audiences boycott ‘Apocalypto’?
Emanuel said the entertainment community should react to Gibson's remarks by “professionally shunning Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line.”

Whether audiences will boycott “Apocalypto” remains to be seen. No such campaign had gathered steam as of Monday.

The evangelical Christian community, which embraced Gibson's “Passion,” will likely be split by the recent controversy, said Bob Waliszewski, media specialist with "Focus on the Family."

“There will be some people who will blog on their Web site ‘Don't go’ because of this DUI incident,” Waliszewski said Monday.

“Will I boycott his film if these things turn out to be true? The answer is no. For me, a movie stands or falls on its own merits.”

But Waliszewski said he is concerned by Gibson's behavior.

“If he really was drunk, that is wrong for anyone with his visibility, especially with the idea that he is claiming to be a Christian,” Waliszewski said. “I share the concerns that many people are feeling right now.”

One Christian scholar said Gibson's lengthy apology would go a long way toward regaining the support of the evangelical community.

“The people that I hang around with know that we're all kind of broken people and none of us have it down altogether,” said Kurt Fredrickson, director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.

“Here's a guy who's been very prominent the past couple of years in religion, in Christian circles, and he's saying, ‘Look at me, I'm not perfect.’ I think grace and forgiveness goes a long way.”

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