Mel Gibson found his new Jesus

Jim Caviezel will no longer be Christ. Monica Bellucci also leaves her place.

More than 20 years later The Passion of Christ (2004), Mel Gibson returned to the Cinecittà studios in Rome to shoot the highly anticipated sequel, officially called The Resurrection of Christ.

And this time, it is no longer Jim Caviezel who will play Jesus, but a Finnish actor still little known to the general public: Jaakko Ohtonen, seen in the historical British series The Last Kingdom.

Filming began last week at Cinecittà, where Gibson directed The Passion of Christ in 2004 — a global phenomenon, becoming one of the biggest independent successes in history with $610 million at the box office. In addition to Cinecittà, Gibson will shoot at several historic sites in southern Italy, including Matera, Ginosa, Gravina Laterza and Altamura — open-air biblical landscapes for a film that is already shaping up to be one of the spiritual and cinematic events of 2027.

For this sequel, Beyond Christ, the entire cast has been renewed. Mariela Garriga (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) takes over the role of Marie-Madeleine, played at the time by Monica Bellucci. We will also see Kasia Smutniak (Domina) succeed Maia Morgenstern in the role of the Virgin Mary. The apostle Peter will be played by Pier Luigi Pasino (The law according to Lidia Poët), while Riccardo Scamarcio (Modì) will lend his features to Pontius Pilate. Rupert Everett will make an appearance in a small, “short but crucial” role, according to the production.

The story taking place three days after the crucifixion, the director chose an entirely new cast. A source justifies:

“Resuming the actors from the first film would have required a lot of digital rejuvenation work, which was very expensive.”

At 36, Jaakko Ohtonen succeeds Jim Caviezel, 57, who had nevertheless said he was ready to resume the role of his life.

The Resurrection of Christ will be divided into two parts: the first will be released on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, and the second forty days later, on May 6, Ascension Day, under the Lionsgate banner.