Shortly after Apocalypto ’s release, Gibson’s infamous DUI arrest and subsequent anti-Semitic remarks in 2006 made him Hollywood poison. By 2010, leaked audio tapes from his divorce proceedings further damaged his reputation. Disney, which distributed Apocalypto through its Touchstone Pictures banner, quietly shelved any discussion of a sequel. Studios would not finance a Gibson-directed film for nearly a decade.
The plot would have followed a young Spanish priest, captured by Jaguar Paw’s people, who learns the Maya language and culture. The drama would hinge on the collision of two worlds: the priest’s guilt over the Inquisition and Jaguar Paw’s struggle to decide whether to kill the invaders or learn from them. The final act was reportedly a brutal, rain-soaked siege where the survivors from both sides must unite against a third, unknown force—possibly a rival tribe or disease. apocalypto 2 release