Liam Neeson is to replace Mel Gibson in Hangover 2 after he was ousted from the sequel to the hit comedy, Variety reported Friday.
"I just got a call to do a one day shoot on Hangover 2 as a tattooist in Thailand, and that's all I know about it," Neeson told the industry publication, dpa reported.
Gibson was trying to revive his acting career with a cameo appearance as a tattoo artist in the film. But just one day after the unusual casting decision was first reported, the idea was scotched, according to director Todd Phillips.
"I thought Mel would have been great in the movie," Phillips said Thursday. "But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast and crew."
Phillips didn't say who objected to including Gibson, who has weathered a storm of bad publicity over his personal life.
Set in Bangkok, Thailand, the movie will star Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha, who featured in the original as friends trying to piece together a rowdy Vegas bachelor party.
The report said that Gibson's role, while brief, was pivotal to the plot, which features one of the characters getting inked during a night of debauchery.
The cameo comes as Gibson's career as director and actor is on hold due to the negative publicity from his nasty break-up with ex- girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva.
His next movie, Beaver, directed by Jodie Foster, has been put on hold following the scandalous accusations about Gibson's violent and threatening behavior.