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Sources tell TMZ … Mel Gibson believes “The Maccabees” project with Warner Bros. — the project that triggered nuclear war between Mel and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas — is still alive, but in fact it might as well be buried in a rose garden.

A source connected to Mel tells us, “The project is going forward without Eszterhas. He [Mel] still has a relationship with Warner Bros.” 

As you know by now, Eszterhas has written a blistering, 9-page letter accusing Mel of making unspeakable anti-Semitic remarks and even celebrating John Lennon’s death.

As for Mel’s claim the movie project is still alive, a source intimately connected with it tells TMZ,”There are no plans on making it into a movie.”

Our source, who has first-hand knowledge, tells us Warner Bros. was tentative in the first place about doing the project, but was banking on the script “being a heroic story, like Braveheart.” The source says, “When the script was submitted, no one liked it … including Mel.”

We’re told even if the script was good, the project would still have had to clear a number of hurdles, but given what was submitted, it’s effectively D.O.A.

One last thing … Mel could shop the project elsewhere when Warner Bros. officially pulls the plug.