‘The Resurrection Of The Christ’ Writer Recalls Mel Gibson’s Warning About Spiritual Warfare

Mel Gibson warned his longtime creative partner Randall Wallace that Satan would target them if they made “The Resurrection of the Christ,” Wallace recalled in a recent podcast. 

Wallace, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind “Braveheart,” made the remarks during an appearance on Raymond Arroyo’s “Arroyo Grande” podcast while discussing the upcoming sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” and how the project came together. 

“Having studied the Resurrection and being so consumed by it, I thought about it many times,” Wallace said, explaining that he first suggested a feature-length film about Christ’s resurrection while he and Gibson were promoting “Hacksaw Ridge” in 2016.

Wallace said Gibson hesitated to respond.

“He said, ‘If we do this, it can’t be for the money, and it can’t be to get back at people that have hated us or wronged us or been unhappy with us,’” Wallace recalled.

Wallace said he agreed, then Gibson offered another warning. 

“You know, Satan’s going to come after you,” he recalled Gibson saying.

Wallace joked that he initially brushed off the warning.

“I said, ‘Well, you know, Satan doesn’t really care about Baptists. It’s really good when Satan can get a Catholic. We’re a dime a dozen,’” he said, making Arroyo laugh. 

Wallace said the conversation marked the beginning of their partnership on the screenplay. He said he proposed writing an initial draft before the two revised it together.

Gibson previously said he, Wallace, and his brother Donal Gibson spent six to eight years developing the screenplay.

In May, Gibson announced that production on “The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One” had wrapped and would premiere on May 6, 2027, with Part Two set to debut Memorial Day weekend 2028.

Gibson’s 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ” grossed more than $610 million worldwide against a reported $30 million budget and received three Academy Award nominations. The film depicted the final hours of Jesus’ life and became one of the year’s highest-grossing films.  

Wallace declined to reveal many details about the sequel but suggested audiences would see something new. 

“The interesting thing is that, while in some ways — the ultimate movie — I want to keep it all secret about what’s going to happen,” he said. “But the ultimate movie, in some ways, will have elements that people have never seen before.”

“It’ll be the most consistent telling of the overall belief, the awe and the mystery that Christians experience when they experience the Resurrection,” Wallace said.