On January 17, Benedict Fitzgerald, the co-screenwriter of “The Passion of the Christ,” passed away in Marsala, Sicily, at the age of 74, following an extended illness, as reported by his cousin Nancy Ritter to Variety.
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Fitzgerald collaborated with director and producer Mel Gibson on the 2004 biblical epic “The Passion of the Christ,” which stands as the highest-grossing independent film of all time.
His recognition in the film industry began with the screenplay adaptation of Flannery O’Connor’s novel “Wise Blood,” co-written with his brother Michael. The film, produced by Michael and Kathy Fitzgerald and directed by John Huston, featured notable actors such as Brad Dourif, Harry Dean Stanton, and Ned Beatty.
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This project marked the commencement of Fitzgerald’s numerous literary adaptations, including “Zelda” (1993) starring Natasha Richardson and Timothy Hutton, and the 1993 adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” with John Malkovich. He also penned the miniseries adaptations of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” (1996) and Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” (1998), where Patrick Stewart portrayed Captain Ahab. Both series received multiple Emmy Award nominations.
Born on March 9, 1949, in New York, Fitzgerald was the second child of Sally Fitzgerald, known for editing “The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor,” and Robert Fitzgerald, a renowned poet and translator. Although raised in Italy, Fitzgerald attended boarding school in Rhode Island and graduated from Harvard University in 1972. He married Karen Mason in 1991.
Survived by his wife, daughters Eugenie, Helena, and Olimpia, three grandchildren, and siblings Ughetta, Maria, Michael, Barnaby, and Caterina, Benedict Fitzgerald leaves behind a legacy of impactful cinematic and literary contributions.
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