Mel Gibson is set to star in a new movie directed by actress Jodie Foster, according to reports.

The Beaver, which is due to go into production in September, tells the story of a depressed man who finds solitude in an animal hand puppet.

Gibson is expected to take the lead role in the film, while Foster will also star. The pair previously appeared together in 1994's Maverick.

The movie will be produced by Steve Golin and Keith Redmon, according to Variety.

Since the turn of the century, Gibson's acting career has taken a back seat in favour of a directorial role behind the camera.

He drew praise in 2004 for the biblical epic The Passion of the Christ, which was followed two years later by Apocalypto.

But the star's private life has also stolen the headlines.

In 2006, the Oscar winner made a series of anti-Semitic remarks during a drink-driving arrest in Hollywood.

He also confirmed in May that he was expecting a baby with 38-year-old Russian Girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.

The announcemet came just a month after Gibson's wife, Robyn, filed for divorce after 28 years of marriage. The couple have seven children together.