Muted

Meanwhile, the Holocaust project, to be adapted from a little-known 1998 memoir called "Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death," which recounts the experiences of a young Dutch Jew during World War II, is in the early stages. An ABC spokeswoman Sunday would confirm only that the project was in development and that executives would wait to see a finished script before deciding whether to go into production on the proposed miniseries. Gibson and his spokesman, Alan Nierob, have said little about the project, which is backed by Gibson’s Con Artists Productions, the TV division of his Icon Productions.

"It’s in development, but not very far in," an ABC spokeswoman said. "It is not at the point where you would make those determinations. There is no script."

Although many of the town’s senior executives are Jewish and Hollywood has a long history of supporting Israel and Jewish causes, there was no widespread public condemnation of Gibson’s comments over the weekend. Although some high-level executives privately expressed dismay at the statements attributed to Gibson after his arrest, none of those contacted would speak on the record.

As for Gibson, he was said to be huddling with his medical, legal and spiritual advisors over the weekend. Some of his friends, who asked not to be identified, said they hoped he would seek counseling for his admitted drinking problem. One source said the star had already begun rehabilitation, noting that Gibson had long been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.