Gibson pays $22m for island paradise

Mel Gibson made so much money from his smash movie The Passion of the Christ that he is buying his own island paradise.

Gibson is reportedly paying around £8 million ($22 million) for the island of Mago in Fiji. It is a snip for Gibson, who is projected to make £280 million from The Passion of the Christ.

Gibson, well known for his loathing of the paparazzi, bought Mago from a Japanese hotel firm. He hopes to use the beaches and two lagoons to entertain friends in private. Earlier this year, fellow screen star Johnny Depp bought a Caribbean island for about £1.6 million.

The Passion of the Christ is only nine months old but has shattered video sales records and is also making money on pay-per-view TV.

Gibson's personal profit is likely to be further boosted by DVD sales of the film, which follows the final hours of Christ.