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'Passion of the Christ' movie sequel, 'The Resurrection', could be Mel Gibson's next project

Jardine Malado Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Screen capture of Mel Gibson being interviewed by Greg Laurie at SoCal Harvest 2016. | Youtube/Pastor Greg Laurie

Mel Gibson made a surprise appearance at the SoCal Harvest on Sunday and discussed the possibility of a sequel to "The Passion of Christ" with pastor Greg Laurie. Gibson stated that he and screenwriter Randall Wallace were in talks regarding a film called "The Resurrection."

Last June, Wallace told The Hollywood Reporter (THR) that he was writing a script about Christ's resurrection. "I always wanted to tell this story," he said. "The Passion is the beginning and there's a lot more story to tell," he added. Wallace revealed that he specialized in the resurrection while studying religion in Duke University.

Gibson expressed his admiration for Wallace's writing talent and affirmed that he is well-suited for the job. "He is also, as well as a brilliant writer, he is a great director. He directed 'We Were Soldiers' and 'Heaven is for Real' and stuff. So, he is a good writer and director," Gibson Laurie during the Christian festival.

At the event, Gibson also talked about his new film "Hacksaw Ridge," the true-to-life story of Desmond Doss, an army medic who saved the lives of his fellow soldiers in the Battle of Okinawa. The film, coming out in November, stars Andrew Garfield as Doss and Vince Vaughn as Sergeant Howell.

Gibson expressed his interest in making "The Resurrection" during a screening of "Hacksaw Ridge" at Liberty University in Virginia last month.

Wallace told THR in June that the script for "The Resurrection" is still in the early stage. He said there is still no financial backing for the project but alluded that there are interested investors.

"The evangelical community considers The Passion the biggest movie ever out of Hollywood, and they kept telling us that they think a sequel will be even bigger," he remarked.

"The Passion of Christ," produced with a $30 million budget, earned $612 million worldwide when it was released in 2004. It is reportedly hailed as the most successful independent film of all time.