Randall Wallace, the Oscar-nominated writer behind Braveheart, has shared the stark warning Mel Gibson gave him before the pair started work on the long-gestating sequel to The Passion of the Christ.
During an appearance on Raymond Arroyo’s Arroyo Grande podcast, Wallace discussed joining Gibson again for The Resurrection of the Christ, the follow-up to the 2004 biblical drama that grossed more than $612 million worldwide and became one of the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time.
Wallace said Gibson was direct from the outset about the strain he believed the project could bring.
“Mel called me up and said, ‘Are you ready to do this?'” Wallace recalled.
“And he said, ‘You know, if we write this, Satan’s going to come after you.’ And I said, ‘Mel, he’s been after me my whole life. Let’s go.'”
That warning echoes the reputation surrounding the first film, which became the subject of widespread talk online after a series of serious incidents during production involving star Jim Caviezel.
While playing Jesus, Caviezel was struck by lightning, and assistant director Jan Michelini was hit as well during the filming of the Sermon on the Mount.
Caviezel also endured a number of other injuries during the shoot, including being accidentally whipped in the flogging sequence, suffering hypothermia, and dislocating his shoulder while carrying the cross.
The sequel itself has now moved much further forward than it had when Wallace first began discussing it publicly years ago. In 2026, Gibson revealed the project as a two-part film, with production wrapping in Rome after a seven-month shoot and release dates set for 2027. The films are expected to be titled The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One and The Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two.
Recent reports also indicated that the production underwent a major cast change, with Jaakko Ohtonen stepping in as Jesus for the new films rather than Caviezel returning to the role.
Details about the story are still being kept under wraps, but Gibson has previously suggested the films will go well beyond the Resurrection itself. He has spoken about exploring supernatural dimensions, the fall of the angels, and Christ’s descent into Sheol, even saying early ideas for the script felt like an “acid trip.”
Wallace acknowledged that writing about events of that scale meant confronting subject matter far outside the bounds of a typical screenplay.
“When you’re dealing with something of this magnitude, you’re not just writing a movie—you’re entering a battlefield,” Wallace explained.
“We knew that telling the story of the Resurrection wasn’t just about depicting what happened on Earth, but what was happening in the spiritual realm that human eyes couldn’t see.”
Even with the weight of the material and Gibson’s warning in mind, Wallace said both men felt compelled to continue the story they began more than 20 years ago. He also suggested they believe the finished films could offer audiences something visually unprecedented.
With filming complete and the release dates now on the calendar, anticipation around the production remains high as viewers wait for the first official trailer and further plot details.