'Maverick' puts Donner in saddle

By JOHN EVAN FROOK

Mel Gibson's movie version of "Maverick" has hit the bull's-eye with director Richard Donner, who is finalizing an agreement to helm the big-budget Western, sources confirmed Friday.

To be jointly produced by Gibson's Icon Prods. and Warner Bros., "Maverick" will feature Gibson in the role of the charming, roguish cowboy and gambler Bret Maverick -- a role made famous by James Garner on television in the late 1950s and early '60s.

Writer of the screenplay is William Goldman, who previously explored the Western genre with the 1969 release "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and the follow-up "Butch and Sundance: The Early Days."

Donner's Creative Artists Agency representative, Rand Holston, was at a company retreat Friday, but informed sources said Donner was inches away late last week from signing a contract to direct "Maverick."

With Donner in tow, Warner Bros. appears ready to put the picture on the fast track toward pre-production. Lensing appears to be revving toward a summer start.

WB had no comment on development or production plans.

WB and Icon Prods. are attempting to sew up an agreement with Garner to play a supporting role in the movie. Warner Bros. VP of feature production Diana Rathbun is overseeing "Maverick."

Gibson is editing his directorial debut, "Man Without a Face," which is tentatively scheduled for release by WB in August. Gibson and Icon prez Bruce Davey could not be reached for comment Friday.