LOS ANGELES -- The audio rants purported to depict actor Mel Gibson complicate the release of his next film by Summit Entertainment, the studio that holds U.S. distribution rights, an analyst said.

"The Beaver," directed by Jodie Foster, stars Mr. Gibson as a man who converses with a beaver puppet. No release date was scheduled before recordings of obscenity-laced tirades, purportedly by Mr. Gibson to girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, were made public. The two are in a battle for custody in Los Angeles over their 8-month-old daughter.

The film isn't likely to be shown in U.S. theaters anytime soon, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of researcher Hollywood.com's box-office tracking unit.

"You have to remain in a holding pattern," Mr. Dergarabedian said. "They have some time to think about it. It's not like they had posters all over town saying, it opens whenever."

Summit hasn't made a decision on how it will proceed, said a person with knowledge of the situation. "The Beaver" has been filmed and is getting post-production touches, said the person, who asked not to be named because the matter is private.

Summit executives weren't available to comment, according to a spokesman. Mr. Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, didn't return messages seeking comment. Ms. Foster's publicist, Jennifer Allen, referred calls to Summit.

Hollywood and the moviegoing public have been forgiving of others. Robert Downey Jr. rebounded from drug-related jail time and Eddie Murphy and Hugh Grant from encounters with prostitutes. All resumed successful film careers.

Mr. Gibson's situation differs from other cases of celebrity misbehavior because of the nature of the comments, Mr. Dergarabedian said. The male voice on the recordings, posted by RadarOnline.com, screams racial epithets and threatens violence.

"It's so mean-spirited, and there's nothing remotely cool about it," Mr. Dergarabedian said. "It's hard to turn this into something positive."

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