Todd Phillips has explained why he axed Mel Gibson from a cameo role in his new movie The Hangover 2.
While the director admits that he is a fan of Gibson's work and was keen to work with the actor some on the production didn't agree and he didn't want to damage the 'family' feel on the set.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight the filmmaker said: "He's one of our finest actors and, quite honestly, one of our finest directors.
"But The Hangover 2 is a family... and as much as I loved the idea, a lot of people didn't... I didn't want anything to come in between that family."
Gibson was set to cameo as a tattoo artist in the movie but will be replaced by Liam Neeson.
The Hangover was the sleeper hit of 2009 as it enjoyed critical and commercial success, going on to gross over $467 million at the global box office.
The sequel sees Phillips return to the director's chair while Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifiankis, Justin Bartha and Ken Jeong are all back.
Filming is currently underway and the movie will be released next year.
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