While Mel Gibson's Passion is in the cutting room, another biblical movie has just finished shooting in Toronto.

Directed by Philip Saville, Word By Word from the Gospel of St John is a $20m picture produced by LA-and Toronto-based Cidif Communications, a subsidiary of Silvio Sardi's Milanese production outfit Cidif Entertainment Group.

Production on the film, which stars Henry Ian Cusick, Scott Handy and Tristan Gemmill, began last year in Spain and Toronto. Two thousand extras were used on the set, which also housed a reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Cinemavault Releasing hold international distribution rights to the film, which was produced by Joel B Michaels and Sandy Pearl.