Mel Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ,” his long-delayed sequel to 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” has cast Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen (“The Last Kingdom”) as Jesus, replacing original star Jim Caviezel.
Shooting on the film began last week at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, with the main set having been completely recast. More than 20 years ago, Gibson filmed the original film “The Passion of the Christ” at Cinecittà, which became one of the highest-grossing independent films of all time with a worldwide box office of $610 million. As previously announced, “The Resurrection of Christ” will be divided into two films, each part of which is expected to be released in 2027.
Mary Magdalene, a role played in Monica Bellucci’s “Passion,” is played in “Resurrection” by Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, who starred in the “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” films as Mary. Polish-born actress Kasia Smutniak (“Domina”) replaces Maia Morgenstern in the role of Mary; Peter is played by Italian Pier Luigi Pasino, who stars in the Netflix Italy original “The Law According to Lidia Poët”; and the role of Pontius Pilate will be played by the Italian Riccardo Scamarcio, who recently directed the biopic “Modì” directed by Johnny Depp. Rupert Everett will play a small but important, unspecified role.
Because of the time period in which “The Resurrection of Christ” takes place – three days after Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday – “it made sense to recast the entire film,” said a source close to the production. Variety. “They would have had to do all this CGI stuff, all this digital stuff – the de-aging and all that – it would have been very expensive,” the source noted.
In April, Caviezel, 57, suggested on the “Arroyo Grande” podcast that he was ready to reprise his career-defining role as Jesus in the sequel. Ohtonen, 36, is currently best known for his role as Danish warrior Wolland in the fifth season of Netflix’s historical epic “The Last Kingdom.”
“The Resurrection of Christ” is produced by Gibson, Bruce Davey and their Icon Productions banner with Lionsgate as studio partner.
The original film, which is spoken in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin to create a more historically accurate and immersive experience, follows the final 12 hours before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Gibson described the sequels as an “acid trip,” adding that he “never read anything like” the scripts the filmmaker wrote alongside “Braveheart” screenwriter Randall Wallace. As the title suggests, the plot is expected to focus on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Other details of the story are being kept under wraps.
“The Resurrection of Christ, Part One” is scheduled for Good Friday, March 26, 2027, while “Part Two” is scheduled 40 days later, on Ascension Day, May 6. Lionsgate will release the films theatrically.
In addition to Cinecittà, where it occupies the new Studio 22 premises, “Resurrection” will also film in the ancient town of Matera, in southern Italy. Gibson is set to film the sequel in other former rural areas of southern Italy, including Ginosa, Gravina Laterza and Altamura.
