Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ sequel gets release date

Lionsgate has announced the discharge dates and unveiled first-look images for “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the long-awaited follow-up to “The Passion of the Christ,” and confirmed that the biblical epic will arrive in theatres in two parts starting in 2027.

In a press release sent to The Christian Post, the studio said principal photography on the film, directed by Mel Gibson, wrapped ahead of schedule after 134 days of filming across Italy, including locations in Rome, Matera, Bari, Ginosa, Craco and Brindisi.

“The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One” can be released May 6, 2027, coinciding with Ascension Day, which commemorates the day Christ physically ascended into Heaven on the fortieth day after His resurrection, while “Part Two” is slated for May 25, 2028, during Memorial Day weekend and Ascension Day. 

The studio previously announced the sequel could be released on March 26, 2027, followed by “Part Two” on May 6, 2027, on Good Friday and Ascension Day, respectively. 

The solid for the sequel includes Jaakko Ohtonen (replacing Jim Caviezel as Jesus), Mariela Garriga, Pier Luigi Pasino, Kasia Smutniak, Riccardo Scamarcio and Rupert Everett.

“Mel is a real visionary with an artist’s eye for scale and a storyteller’s instinct for emotional truth,” said Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, in a press release announcing the completion of filming. “Every image we’ve seen from set appears like a masterwork painting dropped at life.”

Fogelson added that Gibson created “a movie of extraordinary ambition that audiences worldwide have been waiting to experience for over 20 years.”

In a press release, Gibson described the project as “powerful” and said the film had consumed much of his creative life over the past twenty years.

“I’m deeply grateful to my incredibly talented solid and crew for pouring their hearts into this production,” Gibson said. “This film represents a significant a part of my life’s work, and it has demanded every little thing of me as a filmmaker and as an artist.

“This is way over a movie to me. It’s a mission I’ve carried for over twenty years to inform what I feel is crucial story in human history,” he added.

The director also said reuniting with collaborators from “The Passion of the Christ” helped bring the brand new story to the screen “exactly as I envisioned it.”

Released in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” became a cultural phenomenon and stays certainly one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time. Made on a reported $30 million budget, the film earned greater than $610 million worldwide, including $370 million domestically.

Gibson, who co-wrote the screenplay with “Braveheart” author Randall Wallace, has previously described the sequel as exploring tough theological themes, including Hell, Sheol, the autumn of angels and the origin of Satan. He characterised the script as “an acid trip,” signaling a departure from an easy retelling of the Gospel narrative.

In a 2022 interview with CP, Gibson revealed he’s drawn to stories that highlight redemption and the necessity for a Saviour.

“I’ve been taught from a young age that we’re flawed, and also you’re going to make mistakes,” he reflected. “We’re broken, and we want help. Usually, the very best approach to get assistance is to ask for it. And well, who can we ask? We’re asking something higher than us. And the minute you acknowledge that there’s something higher than you, you would possibly get something that resembles humility, which is de facto the important thing to the entire thing.”

Gibson encouraged the subsequent generation to “stick” to their “convictions” though it’s “hard” in an increasingly polarized society. 

“Sometimes you are presented with decisions or put in places which might be very difficult, and a few of those decisions are hard,” he said. “You just need to examine your individual conscience and take the precise road, I feel. … There’s no right way; there are one million improper ways, and you only need to eliminate those or simply use your best discernment to get through it.”

“But it’s hard, man,” he added. “Life’s hard. But we’re all going. We’ve all got a boulder we’re dragging.”

© The Christian Post