Mel Gibson in Jodie Foster's "Beaver"?

It's true.

Variety is reporting that Mel Gibson has signed on to star in Jodie Foster's upcoming movie, "The Beaver," which is about "a depressed man who finds solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet." Yes, you read that correctly. The obvious question: Fetish or drama? With Foster on board, it's going to be a drama, and likely a quirky one at that.

Jim Carrey once was attached to the project--and stepped away from it. So did Steve Carell and Jay Roach, each know for picking movies with (*cough*) good taste.

So! Mel Gibson will don the beaver hand-puppet and do God knows what with it. I smell an Academy Award. I see Gibson publicly thanking his Beaver. I see ratings gold for the Oscars.

I also see dead careers, so it'll be interesting to note if this movie kills Gibson's flagging career or resuscitates it.