Passion success leads to Life of Brian re-release

After seeing the runaway success of The Passion of the Christ, film-makers behind the Life of Brian have decided to re-release the satirical Monty Python flick, it emerged today.

The 1979 movie about Brian of Nazareth, who is mistaken for the Messiah, will make a return to the big screen in America at the end of April in Los Angeles and New York.

It comes as Mel Gibson’s movie about the crucifixion continues to make hundreds of millions of pounds at the box office.

Life of Brian producer John Goldstone told Variety magazine: “A lot of people in America have said that they couldn’t figure out a way to deal with the public reaction to Mel’s movie.

“This is a kind of antidote to Mel.”

The movie is being distributed by Rainbow Releasing, which previously handled the US re-release of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Henry Jaglom, Goldstone’s partner, said it was “counter programming” to the “hysteria” which had followed The Passion.

Industry experts predict Gibson’s film could take half a billion dollars at the box office.

The members of the Monty Python cast – John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and the late Graham Chapman – shared writing credits to the film.

The re-release reportedly came with the blessing of the surviving Pythons.

When it was released 25 years ago the Life of Brian created a storm and was branded blasphemous by some Christians.