Mel Gibson gave screenwriter chilling 'Satan' warning ahead of Passion of the Christ sequel after 'cursed' original set

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Randall Wallace has revealed the ominous warning Mel Gibson gave him before they began penning the script for the long-awaited sequel to The Passion of the Christ.

Appearing on Raymond Arroyo's Arroyo Grande podcast, the 76-year-old Braveheart writer opened up about reuniting with Gibson to tackle The Resurrection of the Christ—a sprawling, ambitious cinematic follow-up to their 2004 biblical blockbuster that grossed over $612 million worldwide.

Recalling the exact moment Gibson approached him to co-write the project, Wallace shared that the director didn't mince words regarding the spiritual toll the project would take on both of them.

"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.'"

The ominous caution refers back to the notoriously troubled 2004 production of the original film, which many internet users branded as 'cursed' following a string of on-set disasters that very nearly cost lead actor Jim Caviezel his life.

Mel Gibson's original production of Passion of the Christ was famously cursed (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

While portraying Jesus on screen, Caviezel was struck by lightning, as was assistant director, Jan Michelini, while filming the Sermon on the Mount.

Additionally, Caviezel was also accidentally whipped for real during the flogging scene, suffered hypothermia, and dislocated his shoulder while carrying the cross.

While plot specifics for the sequel remain closely guarded, Gibson has previously teased that the narrative will extend far beyond the empty tomb, diving into metaphysical realms, the fall of the angels, and Christ's descent into Sheol (Hell)—even describing his early script concepts as feeling like an "acid trip."

Acknowledging the immense psychological and spiritual weight of attempting to portray divine events on screen, Wallace admitted that writing the sequel required stepping into unfamiliar territory.

"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."

Despite the daunting task and Gibson's dire warning, Wallace emphasized that both filmmakers felt a deep calling to complete the story they started over two decades ago, expressing confidence that their shared vision will deliver a visual experience unlike anything audiences have seen before.

Whether the sequel will remain as dogged by the curse however, remains to be seen - with film fans awaiting news of the movie's production with bated breath.