Mel Gibson’s ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ Has Officially Wrapped, and Nothing About It Looks Like a Typical Biblical Epic
The wait is almost over. ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’, Mel Gibson’s long-gestating sequel to ‘The Passion of the Christ’, has officially completed principal photography after a seven-month shoot, with behind-the-scenes images from the Italian set spreading rapidly across social media and reigniting one of the most closely watched conversations in modern Hollywood.
Filming wrapped on April 30 following a 134-day production at Rome’s legendary Cinecittà Studios, the very same location where Gibson shot the original over two decades ago, with additional scenes captured across southern Italian towns including Matera, Ginosa, Brindisi, and Craco. The wrap was marked by a celebratory video shared online showing cast and crew in high spirits, with the new lead visibly emotional after the final day of shooting.
Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen, best known internationally for his role in Netflix’s ‘The Last Kingdom’, steps into the role of Jesus, with Cuban actress Mariela Garriga taking over as Mary Magdalene, Polish actress Kasia Smutniak portraying the Virgin Mary, Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate, and Rupert Everett joining the ensemble as Abraham.
Jim Caviezel, who defined the role for a generation of audiences in the original film, will not be returning. The full cast replacement was ultimately driven by scheduling conflicts and the prohibitive cost of applying de-aging CGI effects across the entire ensemble.
The project has been shot as two separate films, with each part reportedly carrying a budget of around $100 to $125 million, bringing the combined production spend to somewhere in the region of $250 million and making it by far Gibson’s most expensive directorial effort to date.
For context, the original ‘Passion of the Christ’ was made for just $30 million and went on to gross over $610 million worldwide. Lionsgate has confirmed a two-part theatrical release, with Part One arriving on Good Friday, and Part Two following exactly 40 days later on Ascension Day, a scheduling choice that locks the releases to the Christian liturgical calendar in a way that feels deliberate and pointed.
Gibson has described the sequel as “super ambitious” and an “acid trip”, with the story set to feature angelic and demonic battles and Christ’s descent into Hell, while the dialogue will reportedly be delivered in English rather than the Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin that defined the original’s immersive and divisive approach. Gibson co-wrote the screenplay with Randall Wallace, the writer behind ‘Braveheart’, and has said he had never read anything quite like the finished script.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson called the project “the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation,” adding that Gibson is “one of the greatest directors of our time” and that the sequel is “both deeply personal to him and the perfect showcase for his talents.”
Whether audiences agree will depend on how the all-new cast, the English-language dialogue, and Gibson’s distinctly unconventional vision land with both the faithful and the filmgoing public at large.
The original ‘Passion of the Christ’ remains one of the most polarizing films ever made, generating fierce debate about its graphic depictions of violence and its framing of biblical events. The sequel arrives carrying that baggage alongside a fresh wave of controversy, with casting choices already drawing criticism online.
Ohtonen’s casting has prompted debate about Jesus’s skin color in cinematic depictions, while Smutniak’s casting as the Virgin Mary drew backlash from some Polish conservatives due to her public support of women’s rights protests in Poland.
Drop your thoughts in the comments below, whether you’re counting down to the release or approaching it with serious reservations.
