The film has become the highest grossing foreign-language film in North America, grossing more than Cantonese-language film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000).

Contrary to earlier media reports, Pope John Paul II never publicly endorsed the film after receiving a private screening of it.

In that grisly scene where Jesus is being flogged, Jim Caviezel stated that he was actually struck twice. The first time knocked the wind out of him, and left a 14 inch scar on his back. The second time hurt so badly that is caused him to wrench his hand from the shackle, scraping his wrist. What with also getting struck by lightning in a different scene, he wasn't exactly undertested for the role.

Mel Gibson wanted originally to present this film without subtitles until negative responses to the radical idea from potential distributors compelled him to change his mind.

As of September 5, 2004, the film has become the highest-grossing independent (not owned by a major Hollywood studio) film of all time, surpassing "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2003).

Even though the film was banned in Kuwait and Bahrain for religious reasons, it was surprisingly allowed in some other Arab countries (Egypt, Lebanon, etc.) which would have also banned it for similar religious objections. Some have speculated that these countries hypocritically permitted the film to be shown, because they can use it as propaganda to encourage more anti-Semitic/anti-Israeli sentiment among Arabs because of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.