Mel Gibson has unveiled the first look at “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the director’s long-delayed follow-up to 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ.”
Filming on the two-part epic has officially wrapped, with production concluding ahead of schedule after shooting for 134 days across Italy in Rome, Bari, Ginosa, Craco, Brindisi and Matera.
But Gibson giveth, and Gibson taketh away. Along with the sneak peak of “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the filmmaker has announced the two movies have been delayed. “Part One” has been postponed just a few months, with plans to debut on May 6, 2027, instead of March 26. Meanwhile “Part Two” was bumped a year, from May 6, 2027, to May 25, 2028.
Gibson said he’s brought the story to the screen “exactly as [he] envisioned it.”
“I’m deeply grateful to my incredibly talented cast and crew for pouring their hearts into this production. Together, we created something powerful,” said Gibson. “This film represents a major part of my life’s work, and it has demanded everything of me as a filmmaker and as an artist. This is far more than a film to me. It’s a mission I’ve carried for over 20 years to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history.”
“The Resurrection of the Christ” is the follow-up to “The Passion of the Christ,” which followed Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene in the final 12 hours before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Gibson has described the sequels as an “acid trip,” adding that he “never read anything like” the scripts, which the filmmaker has been writing alongside Randall Wallace. The plot, as the title suggests, is expected to focus on Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, who are taking over as Jesus and Mary Magdalene, will star alongside Pier Luigi Pasino, Kasia Smutniak, Riccardo Scamarcio and Rupert Everett.
“The Passion of the Christ” had long been the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time at the domestic box office with $370 million. However that record was supplanted by Disney’s 2024 blockbuster “Deadpool & Wolverine” with $636 million domestically. “The Passion of the Christ” remains one of the biggest independent films ever, earning $610 million globally against a $30 million production budget.
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Lionsgate will release “The Resurrection of the Christ” in North America and the United Kingdom, as well as in Latin America through IDC, the studio’s joint venture in that region. Then Lionsgate has enlisted a slew of international distribution partners including Leonine (Germany), Metropolitan Film (France), Diamond (Spain), Dutch Filmworks (Benelux), Mis. Label (Scandinavia), Sun Africa (South Africa), Monolith (Poland), Vertical Entertainment (Eastern Europe), Blitz Film (Ex-Yugo), Ascot Elite (Switzerland), Pris Audiovisuais (Portugal), and Acme (Baltics). Icon will release in Australia andNew Zealand.
“Mel is a true visionary with an artist’s eye for scale and a storyteller’s instinct for emotional truth,” said Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair. “Every image we’ve seen from set feels like a masterwork painting brought to life. There are very few directors who can operate at this level of epic spectacle while at the same time delivering such depth and conviction. Mel has crafted a film of extraordinary ambition that audiences worldwide have been waiting to experience for over 20 years.”
Gibson, whose career was derailed by several off-screen controversies, returned to studio filmmaking for the first time in eight years with last year’s “Flight Risk.” Lionsgate’s plane-set thriller, starring Mark Wahlberg, failed to ignite at the box office with just $48 million globally. Gibson previously directed 2016’s “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Braveheart” and “Apocalypto.”
From Variety US