Mel Gibson Reveals First Look at THE RESURRECTION OF THE CHRIST and Pushes Back Release Dates for Two-Part Epic

After years of rumors, updates, and waiting,Mel Gibson has finally pulled back the curtain on The Resurrection of the Christ, the long-anticipated follow-up to The Passion of the Christ.

Along with unveiling the first official look at the film, Gibson also confirmed that the massive biblical project has wrapped production after an intense 134-day shoot across Italy.

The movie was filmed in several historic locations including Rome, Bari, Ginosa, Craco, Brindisi, and Matera, with production reportedly finishing ahead of schedule. But while fans now have their first glimpse at the film, they’ll have to wait a little longer to actually see it hit theaters.

Gibson announced that the project will now arrive as a two-part release, and both films have shifted from their original dates. Part One is now set to open on May 6, 2027, moving from its previously announced March release. Part Two has been delayed an entire year and is currently scheduled for May 25, 2028.

Gibson shared a statement about finally bringing the story to life after carrying it with him for more than two decades:

“I’m deeply grateful to my incredibly talented cast and crew for pouring their hearts into this production. Together, we created something powerful.

“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 new films continue the story that began in Gibson’s 2004 smash hit The Passion of the Christ, which starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. This next chapter is expected to center on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, though Gibson has teased in the past that the story goes far beyond a traditional biblical retelling.

At one point, Gibson famously described the scripts as “an acid trip,” explaining that he had “never read anything like” what he and co-writer Randall Wallace had put together.

This time around, Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga step into the roles of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. They’ll be joined by Pier Luigi Pasino, Kasia Smutniak, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Rupert Everett.

Whether audiences embrace the sequel the same way they did The Passion of the Christ remains to be seen, but the original film’s box office legacy is still pretty wild.

The movie earned $370 million domestically and held the title of highest-grossing R-rated film in the U.S. for years before Deadpool & Wolverine eventually overtook it in 2024 with $636 million.

Worldwide, The Passion of the Christ pulled in $610 million against a reported $30 million budget, making it one of the most successful independent films ever released.

Lionsgate is handling distribution for The Resurrection of the Christ in North America and the United Kingdom, while several international partners will roll the film out globally.

Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, praised Gibson’s work on the project, saying:

“Mel is a true visionary with an artist’s eye for scale and a storyteller’s instinct for emotional truth. 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’s return to directing major studio projects has been an interesting ride over the last several years. Following acclaimed films like Braveheart, Apocalypto, and Hacksaw Ridge, he most recently directed the thriller Flight Risk starring Mark Wahlberg, which struggled at the box office.

Still, The Resurrection of the Christ is the movie Gibson has been building toward for a very long time.

Source: Variety