{"id":11430,"date":"2026-07-20T10:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T05:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=11430"},"modified":"2026-07-20T10:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T05:18:10","slug":"resurrection-of-the-christ-writer-randall-wallace-reveals-mel-gibsons-dark-spiritual-warning-about-passion-sequel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=11430","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Resurrection of the Christ&#8217; writer Randall Wallace reveals Mel Gibson&#8217;s dark spiritual warning about &#8216;Passion&#8217; sequel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2026%2F07%2F134970423.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Mel Gibson\u2019s longtime collaborator Randall Wallace revealed the dark spiritual warning that the two-time Oscar winner gave him before they began writing the sequel to \u201cThe Passion of the Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The 76-year-old screenwriter, who previously teamed up with the 70-year-old director and actor for 1995\u2019s \u201cBraveheart,\u201d 2002\u2019s \u201cWe Were Soldiers\u201d and 2016\u2019s \u201cHacksaw Ridge,\u201d\u00a0co-wrote the screenplay\u00a0for \u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ\u201d with Gibson and his brother Donal Gibson.<\/p>\n<p>During a recent appearance on\u00a0Raymond Arroyo\u2019s podcast \u201cArroyo Grande,\u201d\u00a0Wallace recalled how he urged Gibson to tell the Resurrection story following the massive success of \u201cThe Passion of the Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMel didn\u2019t approach me. I approached him, actually,\u201d Wallace said of how they began working together on \u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not to say that over the years, he hadn\u2019t thought many times about the Resurrection,\u201d Wallace continued. \u201cIn fact, in the original \u2018The Passion of the Christ,\u2019 the original cut didn\u2019t have the resurrection scene. He was getting feedback from people saying, \u2018We really want to see that.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Mel Gibson\u2019s longtime collaborator Randall Wallace revealed the dark spiritual warning that the two-time Oscar winner gave him before they began writing the sequel to \u201cThe Passion of the Christ.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Wallace said Gibson ultimately decided to add the brief Resurrection scene that serves as \u201cThe Passion of the Christ\u2019s\u201d closing epilogue.<\/p>\n<p>In the sequence, Jesus is seen rising, leaving the tomb, and revealing the wounds in his hands before the movie ends.<\/p>\n<p>Wallace told Arroyo that he proposed developing a feature-length film depicting the Resurrection while he and Gibson were on a promotional tour for \u201cHacksaw Ridge\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving studied the Resurrection and being so consumed by it, I thought about it many times,\u201d Wallace recalled. \u201cI didn\u2019t have anything to do with \u2018The Passion of the Christ.\u2019 When we were promoting \u2018Hacksaw Ridge,\u2019 we were sitting there talking about our lives, and I said, \u2018Look, you know, the story that you really need to tell is the Resurrection.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Randall Wallace attends the 30th Annual Art Directors Guild Awards at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on Feb. 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Wallace went on to recount Gibson\u2019s reaction to his suggestion, remembering that the director believed the project could invite spiritual warfare.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was this long pause, and he said something profoundly beautiful. He said, \u2018If we do this, it can\u2019t be for the money, and it can\u2019t be to get back at people that have hated us or wronged us or been unhappy with us,&#8217;\u201d Wallace recalled. \u201cAnd I said, \u2018Amen to that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen he said, \u2018You know, Satan\u2019s going to come after you,&#8217;\u201d Wallace continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI said, \u2018Well, you know, Satan doesn\u2019t really care about Baptists.\u2019 It\u2019s really good when Satan can get a Catholic. We\u2019re a dime a dozen,\u201d he said as Arroyo laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd of course, I was being facetious, but I was also thinking\u2026\u201d Wallace continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if he\u2019s right?\u201d Arroyo interjected.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Jaakko Ohtonen is starring as Jesus in \u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ: Part One.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Elise Lockwood\/Lionsgate<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWell, yeah,\u201d Wallace admitted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what I would be thinking,\u201d Arroyo said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had a beautiful conversation about grace,\u201d Wallace recalled.<\/p>\n<p>Wallace told Arroyo that conversation with Gibson marked the beginning of their collaboration on \u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew he had written \u2018The Passion,\u2019 was very much deeply involved in the writing of it. And I said, \u2018Look, let\u2019s partner up. I\u2019ll write a draft, give it to you, then we\u2019ll start tearing it up, go through it. You do your thing, I\u2019ll do mine. We\u2019ll work together, we\u2019ll work apart.\u2019 So we started that way,\u201d Wallace remembered.<\/p>\n<p>Gibson has previously said he, Wallace and Donal spent roughly six to eight years writing and refining the screenplay for \u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ,\u201d which will be split into two parts.<\/p>\n<p>In May,\u00a0Gibson announced that production\u00a0on the sequel had been completed. \u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ: Part One\u201d will be released May 6, 2027, on Ascension Day, the\u00a0Christian holiday\u00a0marking Jesus Christ\u2019s ascent into heaven 40 days after Easter Sunday. \u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two\u201d is scheduled to debut May 25, 2028, over Memorial Day weekend.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>\u201cThe Resurrection of the Christ: Part One\u201d is set to release in 2027. <span class=\"credit\">IMDB<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a press release, Gibson shared that the story was brought to the screen \u201cexactly as I envisioned it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m deeply grateful to my incredibly talented cast and crew for pouring their hearts into this production. Together, we created something powerful,\u201d Gibson said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis film represents a major part of my life\u2019s work, and it has demanded everything of me as a filmmaker and as an artist. This is far more than a film to me. It\u2019s a mission I\u2019ve carried for over 20 years to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Passion of the Christ,\u201d which premiered in February 2004,\u00a0depicted the final 12 hours\u00a0of Jesus\u2019 life leading up to the crucifixion. Its graphic violence and subject matter made it one of that year\u2019s most controversial movies.<\/p>\n<p>The film was a smash hit, grossing more than $610 million worldwide on a reported $30 million budget. It also earned\u00a0Academy Award\u00a0nominations for its makeup, score and cinematography.<\/p>\n<p>While speaking with Arroyo, Wallace teased what audiences can expect from the long-awaited sequel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis unique vision of the spiritual realm is really special,\u201d Wallace said of Gibson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe interesting thing is that, while in some ways \u2014 the ultimate movie \u2014 I want to keep it all secret about what\u2019s going to happen,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut the ultimate movie, in some ways, will have elements that people have never seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn fact, in many ways, it\u2019ll be stuff nobody\u2019s ever seen,\u201d Wallace added. \u201cAnd yet I believe it\u2019ll be, in a certain way, the most orthodox telling. It\u2019ll be the most consistent telling of the overall belief, the awe and the mystery that\u00a0Christians experience when they\u00a0experience the Resurrection.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mel Gibson\u2019s longtime collaborator Randall Wallace revealed the dark spiritual warning that the two-time Oscar winner gave him before they began writing the sequel to \u201cThe Passion of the Christ.\u201d The 76-year-old screenwriter, who previously teamed up with the 70-year-old director and actor for 1995\u2019s \u201cBraveheart,\u201d 2002\u2019s \u201cWe Were Soldiers\u201d and 2016\u2019s \u201cHacksaw Ridge,\u201d\u00a0co-wrote the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/134970423.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}