Paige Strout
Jul 16, 2024
David Henrie recruited some serious star power for his second feature-length directorial outing.
The upcoming film Monster Summer follows a group of friends whose school break gets disrupted by a mysterious and scary force. To figure out what’s terrorizing the kids of their town, the group recruits the help of a retired police detective played by Mel Gibson.
“I was so excited when I heard that Mel Gibson accepted this role, because it’s unlike any role he’s ever done before! I can’t remember the last time you saw Mel in a family movie, can you?” Henrie, 35, exclusively told Us Weekly of his new project. “He was a joy to collaborate with because he genuinely loved the material and how different it was for him.”
According to Henrie, Gibson, 68, described the film as, “[The] Goonies with teeth.” The beloved 1985 adventure flick is one of the movies Henrie told Us served as his inspiration, along with The Sandlot, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Monster Squad and Jaws.