"Other versions suffer from bad hair or stilted acting. I wanted to make the story real and not portray it as a fairytale. I don’t think other films have tapped into the real force of this story. We’ve done the research. I am telling the story as the Bible tells it. I think the story, as it really happened, speaks for itself. The Gospel is a complete script, and that’s what we are filming."

"The decision (to use ancient languages) was made very early in the process. I want to transcend language with the visual."

"The woman we cast is very beautiful. I didn’t want the stereotypical devil with horns. I don’t believe that is how the devil presents himself/herself. He/she is very seductive and doesn’t put out signposts announcing who he/she is."

"There have been a lot of unusual things happening–good things like people being healed of diseases; a couple people have had their sight and hearing restored. There was even a little six year old girl (visiting the set) who had epilepsy since she was born and had up to fifty epileptic fits a day. She doesn’t have them anymore, for over a month now."

"It was a strange mix of the most difficult thing I have ever done, along with this incredible ease. Everyone who worked on this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on the set converting to Christianity."

"(In my 30's) I got to a very desperate place. And I didn’t want to hang around here, but I didn’t want to check out. But when you get to the point where you don’t want to live and you don’t want to die–it’s a desperate, horrible place to be. And I just hit my knees. I had to use the passion of Christ to...heal my wounds."

"During the course of one’s life, one is presented with circumstances that could shake it. I don’t think I ever lost it. See, basically, I’m too scared. I’m too scared of getting a lightening bolt up my posterior."

"I’m not a preacher and I’m not a pastor. But I really feel my career was leading me to make this. The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize."

"It's time to sort of get back to a basic message, the message that was given. At this time, the world has gone nuts, I think. And this film speaks -- well, Christ spoke of faith, hope, love and forgiveness. And these are things I think we need to be reminded of again. He forgave as he was tortured and killed. And we could do with a little of that behavior."

"(Jesus could have paid the price for the sins of the world) by pricking his finger and shedding a little blood. He didn't; he wanted to go all the way."