The American director has concluded filming of the highly anticipated sequel to «The Passion of the Christ» after 134 days of shooting in Italy. The first part will reach theaters on May 6, 2027, coinciding with the Ascension of the Lord, while the second is postponed until 2028.
Twenty years after «The Passion of the Christ» shook screens around the world and became an unprecedented cultural phenomenon, Mel Gibson has unveiled the first images of his continuation: «The Resurrection of the Christ», a two-part biblical epic that will address the central mystery of the Christian faith.
The filming, which took place entirely in Italy—with locations in Rome, Bari, Ginosa, Craco, Brindisi, and Matera—concluded ahead of schedule after 134 days of shooting. However, Gibson has simultaneously announced a delay in the release dates: the first installment moves from March 26 to May 6, 2027, while the second is postponed a full year, from May 6, 2027 to May 25, 2028. Both dates coincide with the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord in their respective years.
«This film represents a fundamental part of my life’s work and has demanded everything from me as a filmmaker and as an artist. This is so much more than a movie for me. It is a mission I have carried for more than twenty years: to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history»
Gibson himself has described the scripts, which he co-wrote with Randall Wallace, as a «psychedelic journey», pointing out that nothing similar had ever been read before. The cast has experienced significant changes relative to the original film: Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga take on the roles of Jesus and Mary Magdalene—which in 2004 were played by Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci—accompanied by Pier Luigi Pasino, Kasia Smutniak, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Rupert Everett.
A cinematic legacy and its shadows
«The Passion of the Christ» held for two decades the record for the highest-grossing R-rated film in the history of American cinema, with 370 million dollars in domestic receipts—mark surpassed in 2024 by «Deadpool & Wolverine». Globally, the film collected 610 million dollars with a budget of just 30 million, consolidating itself as one of the most profitable independent productions of all time.
The distribution of the new release will be handled by Lionsgate in North America and the United Kingdom, with an extensive network of international distributors that includes territories in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Oceania. Adam Fogelson, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, has classified Gibson as «a true visionary» and has assured that each image from the filming «seems like a pictorial masterpiece brought to life».