Screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald has passed away.
Per Variety, Fitzgerald died on Jan. 17 in Marsala, Sicily, with his passing confirmed by his cousin, Nancy Ritter. It’s noted in the report that Fitzgerald died after suffering from a “long illness.” He was 74 years old.
Fitzgerald had several notable works to his name, but he may be best known as the co-writer of The Passion of the Christ, given the immense levels of success achieved by the film. Released in 2004, the biblical drama was written by Fitzgerald alongside director Mel Gibson. Depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Jim Caviezel), the film made huge money at the box office and still holds the record for the highest-grossing R-rated movie released in the United States.
“I was in a state of abject fear most of the time because I was tackling something that is not only sacred, but something, the spiritual, I had veered away from, and I was just finding my way back,” Fitzgerald said of working on a project like The Passion of the Christ in a 2004 interview. Mel and I had much of the same experience. We underwent a shock of recognition… [We hoped the film would] give back the sense that people actually do have a spiritual side to them. It did for me.”
A sequel to the movie is currently in early development. Fitzgerald was not expected to be involved with the screenplay for the new film. He had previously filed a lawsuit against Gibson in 2008, seeking damages for breach of contract and arguing that he wasn’t told about the movie’s true budget. The suit was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2009.
The writer is also known for his work on the 1979 film Wise Blood, co-written with his brother, Michael Fitzgerald. The movie featured names like Brad Dourif, Harry Dean Stanton, and Ned Beatty. It holds a strong retroactive score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fitzgerald would later adapt the iconic novel Moby Dick, which he turned into a television miniseries script for a 1998 production. He also worked on the TV movies Heart of Darkness and Zelda, as well as the TV shows In Cold Blood and Evil. In Cold Blood and Moby Dick were both nominated for multiple Emmy Awards.
Fitzgerald’s survivors include his wife, Mason, with whom he’d been married since 1991, along with three daughters (Eugenie, Helena, and Olimpia), three siblings (Ughetta, Maria, Michael, Barnaby, and Caterina), and three grandchildren.
Rest in peace, Benedict Fitzgerald.
Source: Variety
