First Look at the New Jesus Arrives as Mel Gibson’s ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ Wraps Filming and Shifts Release Dates
More than two decades after he changed the landscape of faith-based cinema, Mel Gibson is preparing to return to one of the most consequential stories he has ever told. His 2004 biblical drama ‘The Passion of the Christ’ became a cultural and commercial phenomenon, earning over $610 million worldwide and standing as one of the highest-grossing independent films in history, produced on a budget of just $30 million. The long-gestating follow-up has spent years in various stages of development, with audiences and fans of the original left wondering whether the sequel would ever actually materialize.
Now the waiting appears to be decisively over. 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. The sheer scale of the undertaking reflects how seriously Gibson and Lionsgate have committed to this project, with each film carrying a reported budget of roughly $100 million to $125 million, a dramatic leap from the scrappy independent production that launched the original.
Alongside the wrap announcement came the first official image from ‘The Resurrection of the Christ,’ and it immediately introduces one of the most talked-about decisions Gibson made during production. The sequel stars Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus, after Gibson decided to recast Jim Caviezel and sidestep the cost of de-aging CGI. The photo itself is deliberately restrained, showing the new Jesus in white robes standing on a green hilltop with a crowd of followers behind him, offering atmosphere without revealing any specific plot details.
Ohtonen’s casting came after both Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci exited the production due to the prohibitive cost of digital de-aging, leading Gibson to replace the entire original cast rather than rely on that technology. The new ensemble assembled around Ohtonen is a genuinely international one, including Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene, Pier Luigi Pasino as Peter, Kasia Smutniak as Mary, Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate, and Rupert Everett in an undisclosed role. The screenplay was co-written with ‘Braveheart’ writer Randall Wallace, and Gibson has described the finished script as unlike anything he has ever read.
In a statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Gibson said: “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.” That personal weight is evident in how the release strategy has been designed, with both Part One and Part Two now scheduled to premiere on Ascension Day, the Christian holiday commemorating Jesus ascending into heaven, with Part One arriving May 6, 2027, and Part Two following on May 25, 2028. That second date represents a shift of roughly a full year from the original plan, meaning audiences prepared to experience both films in 2027 will need to wait considerably longer for the full story.
The delays are a slight sting given how close the finish line now feels, but the first-look image and the confirmed wrap have done their job of reigniting excitement around a project that has been a topic of speculation for years. Whether Ohtonen can fill a role so thoroughly defined by Caviezel’s iconic portrayal is the question that will dominate conversation between now and next May, and it would be fascinating to hear your thoughts on whether the full cast change was the right call or a creative risk Gibson may come to reckon with.
