Passion Of The Christ"/>Oscar-winning actor and film director Mel Gibson is moving ahead with a sequel to "The Passion Of The Christ" that will recount the resurrection, script writer Randall Wallace told The Hollywood Reporter.
Wallace told the trade publication it was too difficult to keep such a project "under wraps."
"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 revealed.
The writer said he always wanted to tell this story. "'The Passion'" is the beginning and there's a lot more story to tell."
This second script reportedly has no financing or studio secured yet, but the original 2004 movie was highly profitable. The Gibson-directed film, which starred Jim Caviezel as Christ, earned more than $370 million domestically at the box office on a budget of just $30 million, per Box Office Mojo. It became an instant hit, earning $83.8 million its opening weekend. "Passion of the Christ" earned $612 million worldwide, setting a record for the highest-grossing R-rated that was only recently broken by "Deadpool."
The drama, which depicted the last hours of Christ's life, was noted for its graphic violence and criticized by some groups for its depiction of Jews.
As for the sequel moving forward, a representative for Gibson told The Huffington Post on Friday, "We're not commenting on this at this time." Although Gibson reportedly expressed interest in the idea of a "Passion" sequel earlier this year.
Gibson recently was honored at the Cannes Film Festival for his latest film, "Blood Father," and he's finishing up his next directing effort, the World War II drama "Hacksaw Ridge," starring Andrew Garfield.
Wallace, a faith-based filmmaker, wrote and directed 2014's "Heaven Is For Real." He said Christian fans of the original movie have been clamoring for a sequel for more than a decade, reports AV Club.
Wallace also wrote Gibson's Oscar-winning movie "Braveheart."
