Monster Summer’s David Henrie Was ‘Afraid’ to Direct Mel Gibson

David Henrie admits he was terrified to direct Mel Gibson in his upcoming film, Monster Summer — but that “fear” was “instantly dispelled” the moment the pair arrived on set.

“I was afraid to work with Mel. How do you direct an Oscar-winning director?” Henrie, 35, exclusively told Us Weekly of his directorial debut. “I have heard horror stories about friends of mine working with big celebrities — not Mel, other big celebrities — and having really tough times not being able to direct that very large, well-known celebrity because they’ve done it, they know what they’re doing and they’re not going to take directions from a kid. … So I was very much afraid that that [working with Mel] was going to be that.”

Monster Summer, which hits theaters on Friday, October 4, follows Noah (Mason Thames) and his friends as their summer on Martha’s Vineyard gets disrupted by a mysterious force. Together, they team up with the reclusive, retired police detective Gene (Gibson) for a spooky adventure in hopes of saving their island.

Although casting Gibson in the role of Gene initially put Henrie on edge, his nerves were quickly calmed by the Braveheart star, 68, who was the “exact opposite” of who he feared. In addition to becoming a welcome collaborator on set, Henrie said Gibson elevated the story by leaning into being the only adult actor in a film that centers around young teens.

“[It was] so freaking cool. The kids kind of woke up a young side of him,” Henrie gushed, noting that Gibson hasn’t done a children’s movie since 1995’s Pocahontas. “This is a newer thing for him, [and] he was having fun. He’s like, ‘This is different. I can have fun. I can be a kid again.’ And you sense that from him.”

Henrie noted that Gibson was the first actor who “immediately” came to mind for Gene, sharing that the character demanded a talent who could deliver.

“It needed a really good actor who could go from this pessimistic third act in his own life, lacking hope, meeting a boy, renewing hope and going on this huge arc,” he continued. “He has the biggest arc in the whole film. And I knew I needed a really good actor to be able to pull that off. And Mel [is] one of the best. I couldn’t think of anyone better, and he was great. He was such a partner.”

Henrie added that Gibson “really cared” about his performance, telling Us, “I really can’t wait for people to see how he did.”

Gibson isn’t the only recognizable face in the film. Patrick Renna, best known for 1993’s The Sandlot, plays an umpire who pops up during the kids’ baseball games. Henrie said it was important that Monster Summer, which is set in 1997, had a “recognizable face from that decade” that would be a sweet and subtle shout-out to the movie’s millennial and Gen X viewers.

“To me, getting Patrick Renna in this film was a huge win and a huge hug to anyone who came up in the ’90s,” he said. “I remember I was sitting in a rental car when all we had was a script and I was with my producing partners going, ‘Man, how do we cast this thing? I don’t know how we’re gonna make this movie, but let’s try.’ And I just remember saying to them, ‘I would love for Patrick Renna to be in this film somehow. We gotta figure that out.’ And lo and behold, we made it happen. And he really does add a feeling to this film that I think just helps give a nostalgic hug to everyone watching.”

While much of the younger cast — which includes Thames, Abby James Witherspoon and Julian Lerner — might not have been around in the ’90s themselves, Henrie said they knew the value of the decade and had a “really fun” time throwing it back to a different time period.

Their experience on set, of course, is also a credit to Henrie as a director, who said he aimed to recreate the “best” memories he had as a child actor and eliminate all the “bad” ones. Ultimately, he believes he was successful.

“We created a safe, free environment. I try to really recreate a sports environment for the kids,” he explained. “Because in a sport, a kid can still be a kid and it’s not like their life is on the line and they feel like they’re the breadwinners or any of that. I try to remove all of that stuff and just make them feel like they’re playing a sport that they want to play and that they enjoy.”

“You can push kids in sports,” he added, “but at the end of the day, it’s no big deal.”

Part of crafting that safe space for younger actors meant allowing them to make mistakes and work through issues without the pressure of thinking the director might lose his cool.

“When I was a kid, my biggest fear was letting the director down,” Henrie told Us. “So I broke that barrier down immediately with the kids. And I said, ‘Hey, ask me questions. If you don’t understand something, I’m not explaining it right. So ask me questions.’ … I wanted them to do that. And I would pat them on the back when they did ask questions. That’s exactly what I want to hear.”

There isn’t anyone more qualified to lead the next generation through the YA genre. The multihyphenate catapulted to the spotlight opposite Selena Gomez on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012. Now, he and Gomez, 35, will reprise their roles as Justin and Alex Russo, respectively, for the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place revival, which premieres later this month. The duo also serve as executive producers for the series, and Henrie is proud to be revitalizing a corner of TV and film that has faded in the past few years.

“This genre, the kind of supernatural, spooky genre, it really is such a great way to experience lessons about life,” Henrie explained. “Fairy tales, back when they were told around campfires, always had great symbolism baked into their storytelling and it always was for a purpose. So I love the spooky genre because the spooky genre helps you to face your fears. Yes, there’s fun jump scares and there’s laughs and there’s tears, there’s all the stuff you want in an experience, but it always is for a purpose.”

Monster Summer will be no different — and Henrie hopes viewers are able to walk away with an important lesson.

“In our film, we really show how to face your fears and what you have to do to overcome your fears,” he told Us. “That’s a big part of this movie. And I love this genre because it’s such a great place to do that. It reminded me of when I was a kid watching movies with my dad. That’s what I loved about this and I’m so excited for families to share it.”

Monster Summer hits theaters on Friday, October 4.