“The Professor and the Madmen” director Farhad Safinia is standing behind Mel Gibson’s statement after a long legal tussle over the release of the film.

Though Gibson settled with the production company behind the movie, Voltage Pictures, in April, he said in a statement that it was “unfortunate for all concerned that this film was never finished as written” and denied producers’ claims that he and Safinia walked off set and forced the movie to go over-budget. In a new statement, Safinia backed up Gibson, agreeing with him on the version audiences will end up seeing.

“I would like to add to Mel Gibson’s recent statement regarding ‘The Professor and The Madman,’ ” Safinia wrote. “I echo Mel’s correction of the record that neither of us ever walked off set, nor caused the film to ever go over budget. I would also like to clarify some misreporting saying...