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A judge says Mel Gibson must answer questions about planning and filming The Passion of the Christ in response to a screenwriter's lawsuit.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Alarcon ordered Gibson to appear for a deposition by mid-January. Screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald claims he was underpaid for his work on Passion.
His attorneys say Gibson spent tens of thousands of dollars on his children's education while filming in Italy and paid a chiropractor US$78,000 ($146,506).
They contend those expenses lowered payments to Fitzgerald.
