Mel Gibson Reveals First Look at His 2-Part Biblical Epic “The Resurrection of the Christ”
Mel Gibson Reveals First Look at His 2-Part Biblical Epic “The Resurrection of the Christ”
Charlotte PhillippFri, May 22, 2026 at 12:13 AM UTC
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Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus in 'The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One.'
Credit: Elise Lockwood/Lionsgate
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Lionsgate has shared the first look at Mel Gibson's The Resurrection of the Christ
The long-awaited sequel to Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster biblical drama The Passion of the Christ will be released in two parts, in 2027 and 2028
"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," Gibson said of the movie
The first look at The Resurrection of the Christ has finally arrived.
On Thursday, May 21, Lionsgate shared a glimpse at the long-awaited sequel to Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster biblical drama The Passion of the Christ, and announced that filming — which took place across Rome, Bari, Ginosa, Craco, Brindisi (Torre Guaceto) and Matera in Italy for 134 days — has wrapped.
"I'm deeply grateful to my incredibly talented cast and crew for pouring their hearts into this production. Together, we created something powerful," Gibson said in a press release.
"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," he continued, "It's a mission I’ve carried for over 20 years to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history."
"Reuniting with many of my original collaborators from ThePassion of the Christ — true masters of their craft — allowed us to bring this story to the screen exactly as I envisioned it, with the tremendous support of my longtime partners, Adam and the team at Lionsgate," the 70-year-old director added.
Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus in 'The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One.'
Credit: Elise Lockwood/Lionsgate
The studio also announced that the film — which will star Jaakko Ohtonen, Mariela Garriga, Pier Luigi Pasino, Kasia Smutniak, Riccardo Scamarcio and Rupert Everett — will be released in two parts.
Part One, which was originally set to release in March 2026, now has a May 6, 2027, release date, and Part Two is coming on May 25, 2028, though it was originally set to release on May 6, 2027, Varietyreported.
The two films are both set to release on Ascension Day, the Christian holiday that celebrates the ascension of Jesus into heaven.
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Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene among an ensemble cast, the Gibson-directed Passion of the Christ broke records upon its release 21 years ago, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing movie of 2004 worldwide.
It received nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Makeup at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005, but did not take home any trophies.
Jim Caviezel in 'Passion of The Christ.'
Credit: Philippe Antonello/Newmarket Films
Lionsgate said in its press release that the film debuted to an opening weekend of $83 million and eventually took in $370 million in North American theaters, and more than $610 million globally.
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A retelling of the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ’s life, The Passion of the Christ is the second-highest-grossing R-rated film in North America of all time behind 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine.
Gibson has previously said that the Passion of the Christ sequel will, of course, cover the resurrection of Jesus, but will also include much more than just the son of God rising from the dead.
"It’s a huge subject, and it’s not a linear narrative," he told Raymond Arroyo, host of The World Over on EWTN, in 2022. "You have to juxtapose the central event that I’m trying to tell with everything else around it in the future, in the past and in other realms, and that’s kind of getting a little sci-fi."
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