Mel Gibson says "Passion of the Christ" sequel will explore other realms

Director Mel Gibson attends the red carpet for the movie "Hacksaw Ridge" at the 73rd Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy September 4, 2016. | REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

Award-winning actor and director has dropped more hints about the upcoming sequel to "Passion of the Christ," suggesting that it will probably explore other realms and stories about the Resurrection of Christ that are not touched upon by the Bible.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert at "The Late Show," Gibson said that the film will not be a simple retelling of the Resurrection.

"It's not just some chronological telling of just that event. That could be boring, and you think, 'Oh, we read that,' But what are the other things around it that happened?" he said.

The director noted that the project might still be three years away because "it's a big subject."

"It's more than a single event, it's an amazing event. And to underpin that with the things around it is really the story, to enlighten what that means," he added.

When Colbert asked him whether there would be "bad guys" in the film, Gibson replied, "Well, there are. They're in another realm." He hinted that the movie would focus on the three days between Christ's death and his return to life.

Gibson spoke about a possible sequel to "Passion," in August when he was interviewed by Pastor Greg Laurie at the SoCal Harvest. The director stated at the time that he and screenwriter Randall Wallace discussed working on the film which will be called "The Resurrection."

Wallace, who was a religion major at Duke University, had told The Hollywood Reporter in June that he had already begun writing the script. Gibson expressed his confidence in Wallace's writing talent and said that he is well-suited for the job.

Gibson is currently promoting his latest film "Hacksaw Ridge," which tells the story of World War II soldier Desmond Doss who refused to fire a single shot in battle because of his religious convictions. The film, which was released in U.S. theaters on Nov. 4, received a 10-minute standing ovation during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.