Time Is Running Out to Stream Roland Emmerich’s Mel Gibson-Led Historical Epic

By the time Mel Gibson was cast in Roland Emmerich’s historical war flick, The Patriot, he was well into his run as one of the industry’s biggest actors. Behind him were the days of the Lethal Weapon franchise and his award-season favorite, Braveheart, but — on the other side of things — he had already worked up quite the negative reputation amongst his peers. Back in July 2024, Emmerich opened up to Collider’s Steve Weintraub about his experience working alongside Gibson on the Revolutionary War feature during a Directors on Directing panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Referring to the lead-up as making him “really, really nervous,” the Moonfall helmer recounted the nerves he had because Gibson was “a very angry guy deep down.” If, after you read his full comments below, you find yourself in the mood to stream The Patriot, you’ll need to rush to do so, as the epic will take its leave from Netflix on February 1.

According to Emmerich, there was a lot for him to be concerned about when it came to The Patriot’s leading man. “I was really, really nervous to shoot The Patriot because I said, ‘Oh, Mel Gibson is an Oscar-nominated actor.’” Opening up about some of the issues that presented themselves, the White House Down director said, “The first problem I had was that I wanted Heath Ledger instead of another actor. I naturally had to call [Mel] and say, ‘I kind of like the other guy.’ Then he said, ‘Well you’re the director.’ And hangs up on me. True story.”

Although he may have felt a little shaken by the speedy and incredibly unpleasant interaction with Gibson over the phone, Emmerich stuck to his guns and cast Ledger in what would become one of The Dark Knight star’s breakthrough roles. “And Heath said yes,” Emmerich said. “Only my sister was with me, and everybody else wanted to have the other guy.” Yet, even though they had their issues about the role that went to Ledger, Emmerich said that Gibson admitted when he was wrong, adding, “After three days, he actually told me, ‘You were right because this guy will be a major star.’”

Heath Ledger’s Imprint on Hollywood

In the case of Ledger and The Patriot — the rest is history. He had previously landed the leading role in the iconic teen comedy drama, 10 Things I Hate About You, but The Patriot further boosted him as a genre-crossing talent. He went on to receive critical acclaim and become an iconic staple of the early aughts thanks to his work in Monster’s Ball, Ned Kelly, Brokeback Mountain, and Candy before his tragic passing in 2008. Two films, The Dark Knight and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, were released after his death, with the former earning him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Head over to Netflix before February 1 to stream The Patriot.