The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ was one of Mel Gibson’s only films that he directed without starring in it. The 2004 film is based on the life of Christ Jesus, the biblical figure, and the final 12 hours before his supposed death. It made a huge splash back when it came out and for very good reason.
Mel had $30 million to play with, which is not chump change by any standard. However, what’s surprising is that he began producing the film on his own dollar before receiving a single penny from outside sources. After its theatrical run, the movie grossed over $600 million!