‘Passion of the Christ’ sequel moves ahead with writer Russell Wallace
It’s been a long time coming, but a sequel (or at least a follow-up of some kind) to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ appears to be moving ahead.
As THR has confirmed that a sequel to The Passion of the Christ is in the works with Oscar-nominated screenwriter Randall Wallace (Braveheart) admitting (reluctantly, the report notes) to the fact that he is indeed working on the script.
Wallace will be chronicling The Resurrection of the Christ (a possible hint at a great title) and picking up where the previous film left off.
“I always wanted to tell this story,” Wallace says. “The Passion is the beginning and there’s a lot more story to tell.”
The biggest box office film of any faith-based film, Passion earned $612 globally on a $30 million budget.
“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,” Wallace says.
Wallace, who most recently directed and co-wrote the 2014 faith-based drama Heaven Is for Real, says he and Gibson began to get serious about a sequel to The Passion, while making Hacksaw Ridge, which Gibson directed and Wallace co-wrote.
No studio or financial backing has been lined up for the project, which is still in the early script stage. But Wallace indicates there are several financiers interested in investing. “It’s too early to talk money,” he adds. “This is such a huge and sacred subject.”