More than two decades after becoming a box-office hit, Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of the Christ" is returning to theaters nationwide as the Oscar-winning director prepares to tell the next chapter of the biblical story.Gibson spoke exclusively with Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo about his upcoming two-part sequel, "The Resurrection of the Christ," reflecting on stories of real-life crime confessions and faith transformations he said were inspired by the original film, as well as the pre-release pushback it faced.The full interview is featured on the "Arroyo Grande Show with Raymond Arroyo" YouTube channel.MEL GIBSON'S 'RESURRECTION OF THE CHRIST' REVEALS FIRST PHOTOS AFTER LONG-AWAITED PASSION SEQUEL"The Passion of the Christ" starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth.(Lionsgate/Fathom Entertainment)"I just wanted to make it as real as possible for people to enter into that journey, which is pretty grueling," Gibson told Arroyo about the 2004 film.
"And previous depictions of it had been pretty much sanitized, and they made it look easy, and it wasn't.So, I wanted to emphasize that this was not easy.
In fact, he didn't want to do it.""The Passion of the Christ" is a biblical drama depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in excruciating detail.It starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus and focused on the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life, with dialogue mainly in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin.HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER BEHIND 'APOLLO 13' REJECTS POLITICS IN HIS MOVIES, SEEKS TO UNITE AUDIENCESAt the time, the film faced significant pushback before its release over its violence, religious themes and concerns that it could fuel antisemitism.
Gibson told Arroyo he believes those fears did not materialize and that the film instead brought some people together.Actor Mel Gibson attends a Serie A match between AS Roma and Hellas Verona FC at the Olympic Stadium on Sept.28, 2025, in Rome, Italy.
(Domenico Cippitelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images)"It didn't do that at all, which I was pleased...