Mel Gibson has wrapped his two-part follow-up to 2004’s The Passion of the Christ, titled The Resurrection of the Christ, with Part One set for May 6, 2027 and Part Two for May 25, 2028; the films star Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, were shot across locations in Italy, and the director says the project has been a decades-long mission for him.
Mel Gibson announced completion of principal photography on his two-part epic, The Resurrection of the Christ, and studios Lionsgate and Icon Productions have locked in release dates months apart, one on Ascension Day and the other over Memorial Day weekend. Gibson framed this as more than a movie, calling it a mission he has carried for over 20 years, and he credited his cast and crew for delivering something “powerful.”
The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One will arrive on May 6, 2027, on Ascension Day, the Christian holiday marking Jesus Christ’s ascent into heaven 40 days after Easter, while Part Two is scheduled to bow on May 25, 2028, during Memorial Day weekend. Gibson said the story was brought to the screen “exactly as I envisioned it,” underscoring how personal and carefully considered the production has been.
Gibson has been vocal about the sacrifices and obsession this project demanded. “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,” he said, making clear that the stakes for him go beyond box-office goals.
The new films pick up where Gibson’s 2004 The Passion of the Christ left off, moving beyond those final hours to explore resurrection-era events and larger spiritual questions. The original film was a cultural flashpoint, noted for its intense depictions and enormous audience reach, and the sequel intends to tackle the metaphysical terrain that follows crucifixion and resurrection.
Casting shifted for this ambitious follow-up: Jim Caviezel, who famously played Jesus in the 2004 film, was expected to return but was ultimately replaced due to a mixture of technical challenges with de-aging and scheduling conflicts. Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will portray Jesus in the new films, and Mariela Garriga steps into the role of Mary Magdalene, taking over from Monica Bellucci in this retelling.
Production took place across Italy and stretched over 134 days, with sets and locations chosen to evoke ancient landscapes and otherworldly realms. Filming the supernatural elements required imaginative staging and effects that Gibson described to audiences as unlike anything he had previously read, with sequences that plunge into Sheol and the fall of the angels.
On the Joe Rogan Experience earlier this year, Gibson gave a glimpse of the film’s broader concerns, saying, “There’s good, there’s evil, and they are slugging it out for the souls of mankind,” and asking, “Why are we even important, little old, flawed humanity? Why are we important in that process where the big realms are slugging it out over us?” Those lines signal a narrative that mixes biblical events with cosmic conflict and spiritual spectacle.
Gibson said he co-wrote the script with his brother, Donal Gibson, and screenwriter Randall Wallace over seven years, and he described the collaboration as bringing “some good heads” together. “There’s a lot required because it’s an acid trip. I’ve never read anything like it,” he said, acknowledging the odd, ambitious nature of the material and the challenge of translating visions of heaven, hell and intermediary realms into cinema.
