Sounds like Mel Gibson's cancelled cameo on The Hangover 2 was doomed from the start.
It's been widely speculated that Zach Galifianakis was solely responsible for Gibson getting the axe from the sequel, after the actor admitted earlier this month he was "in a deep protest right now with a movie I'm working on."
But an insider close to the production says that all of the film's stars — including Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms — objected to the stunt casting.
"They barely began shooting when [Gibson] was dumped on them," the source tells UsMagazine.com. "It was met with a collective 'oh hell no.'"
Director Todd Phillips and the film studio tried to "appease" the cast and make it into a "positive," but to no avail. "This dampened all of the production," the insider says. "None of the cast, Bradley, Zach, Ed, no one was pleased and it was evident."
The source adds that their objection wasn't just to Gibson's controversial reputation, tarnished more than ever over his vicious battle with ex Oksana Grigorieva.
"They don't want him to be in the movie and serve as a platform for some creepy comeback," the insider tells Us. "They didn't want that energy or to shoulder what would come with having him apart of the film."
"The entire cast and crew pretty much stood in solidarity and made it very clear: no. It took awhile, but it happened," the source says.
"I thought Mel would have been great in the movie," director Phillips mused to The Wrap on Thursday. "But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."
