First image of Jesus in The Resurrection of Christ by Mel Gibson

“For me, it’s much more than a film. It’s a mission that I’ve been carrying out for more than twenty years…”

More than twenty years after the phenomenon of The Passion of Christdirector Mel Gibson finally reveals a first glimpse of his sequel: The Resurrection of Christ.

The filmmaker has shared a very first official image showing Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen in the sandals of Christ, succeeding Jim Caviezel, unforgettable interpreter of Christ in the original film released in 2004.

Filming of this gigantic two-part biblical fresco is now complete. Production was completed after 134 days of filming across Italy, including Rome, Bari, Ginosa, Craco, Brindisi and Matera.

But this announcement is also accompanied by an important change on the calendar side.

Initially scheduled for March 2027, the first part of The Resurrection of Christ will finally be released on May 6, 2027. As for the second part, it is postponed by a year and will arrive on May 25, 2028. A detail far from trivial: the two films will be released each time on Ascension Day, a Christian holiday celebrating the elevation of Jesus to heaven.

Mel Gibson claims to have carried out this project exactly as he had imagined it for years.

“I brought this story to the screen exactly as I saw it in my mind.”he explains. “I am deeply grateful to my cast and crew, who poured their hearts into this production. Together, we have created something powerful.”

The director also describes this diptych as the most important work of his career.

“This film represents a huge part of my life. He asked absolutely everything of me as a director and artist. For me, it’s much more than a film. It’s a mission that I’ve had for over twenty years: to tell what I consider to be the most important story of humanity..”

Direct continuation of The Passion of Christthe new project will logically focus on the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. Gibson had previously described the scripts – written with Randall Wallace – as “a real acid trip” so important would their mystical and metaphysical ambition be.

Alongside Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga in the roles of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the cast will also bring together Pier Luigi Pasino, Kasia Smutniak, Riccardo Scamarcio and Rupert Everett.

Released in 2004, The Passion of Christ remains to this day the biggest success of Mel Gibson’s career, with more than $610 million collected worldwide.