The Last Temptation of Christ

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• The script for this film sat in the office of Martin Scorsese's lawyer for at least 5 years prior to being made. Although Scorsese thought the film could be brilliant, he was concerned how the public might respond to the finished film. His lawyer agreed the script was brilliant and very "brave" but advised against making the movie because he did not think movie-goers were ready for such a story.
• Movie Goof (factual errors): In the on-screen quote from the prologue of Kazantzakis' novel that opens the film, the word "principal" ("my principal anguish") is misspelled "principle".
• Director Martin Scorsese first read Nikos Kazantzakis's novel "The Last Temptation of Christ" after being given a copy by actress Barbara Hershey while he was directing her in Boxcar Bertha, his second feature film, in 1972. When she read in a trade paper many years later that Scorsese was finally getting the opportunity to direct a film adaptation, she begged him to let her play the role of Mary Magdalene. To make sure she didn't feel that he was giving her the part as a favor for having recommended the book, he made her audition.
• Some historians claim Pontius Pilate was born in Scotland, where his father was posted as a Roman Centurion guard. On knowing this, Scottish comedian Billy Connolly tried to convince David Bowie to play Pontius Pilate "as a Scotsman." (Bowie did not.)