Mel Gibson is set to begin filming The Resurrection of the Christ, the sequel to his 2004 blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, with production plans aiming for August 2025 at Cinecittà Studios in Rome. "I hope to start filming The Resurrection of the Christ next year. It's a big undertaking," said Gibson, according to Deadline.
The sequel focuses on the three days between Jesus' death and resurrection, exploring new narrative and visual dimensions. It aims to delve into spiritual and supernatural realms. "You have to really start with the fall of the angels, which means you're in another place, you're in another realm. You need to go to hell," said Gibson.
The Resurrection of the Christ is planned to be filmed across ancient southern Italian towns, including Matera, in partnership with Cinecittà Studios. The natural settings are intended to recreate the biblical atmosphere, continuing the aesthetic established in the original film. Variety reports that CEO Manuela Cacciamani of Cinecittà Studios confirmed that the movie will be shot entirely at their studio, requiring extensive stage constructions.
Jim Caviezel is expected to reprise his role as Jesus Christ, although Gibson acknowledged the challenges due to the passage of time since the first film. "I will need to enlist a few techniques, such as CGI de-aging on Caviezel since more than 20 years have passed," said Gibson, according to the Catholic News Agency.
The script, co-written by Gibson, his brother Donald, and screenwriter Randall Wallace, has been in development for nearly ten years. "It will not follow a linear narrative and has much more to unpack than just the Son of God rising from the dead," said Gibson. "The story is super ambitious, and I'm not wholly sure I can pull it off, but I'm willing to take a crack at it," he added.
Gibson's vision for the sequel encompasses events from the past, present, and future, moving beyond the resurrection to include supernatural elements and spheres beyond the human. "The narrative moves from the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle," said Gibson, according to Deadline, emphasizing that it is "more than [the] single event [in the title], it's an amazing event… and to underpin that with the things around it is really the story."
The Passion of the Christ, released in 2004, became a box office phenomenon, grossing $370 million in the U.S. and over $600 million internationally. The film, which depicted Jesus's final 12 hours before his crucifixion, was both a commercial success and a subject of controversy. Accusations of antisemitism arose due to its portrayal of Jewish leaders, implying they were to blame for Jesus' death, as noted by Variety.
Despite the controversies, the original film became the highest-grossing R-rated film in North America at the time and is credited by the Catholic News Agency as the movie that opened the door to faith-based media in Hollywood, pioneering the "faith film" genre.
Gibson has hinted at the sequel for years, with the project going through different phases of development. Gibson and Randall Wallace started working on the script in 2016, but details have remained largely speculative with sparse information provided until now.
In preparation for the film, Gibson has been scouting locations, including Malta and cities in the southern Italian region of Apulia.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
