Mel Gibson’s ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ to be two films, given release dates

Mel Gibson’s long-awaited sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” will be released as two films in spring of 2027 on liturgical dates marking pivotal moments in the life of Christ. 

“Part One” will enter theaters on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, and “Part Two” will follow 40 days later on the feast of the Ascension, May 6, 2027, according to Deadline.

“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation,” said Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture, which will be distributing both films, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless.” 

The 2004 “The Passion of the Christ,” which was filmed in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin, was the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time domestically for over two decades, up until 2024’s Deadpool and Wolverine. Despite the film’s relatively modest production budget of $30 million, it made $370 million domestically and more than $610 million globally, according to Deadline.

Mel Gibson, who directed the original film and co-wrote its script, discussed his plans for the sequels on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience earlier this year.

“It’s the Resurrection story,” Gibson told Joe Rogan.

“But… it’s not linear because you can’t really, it’s hard to understand,” Gibson said. “So it’s got to be put in a framework where you answer a few other questions as well, and you have to juxtapose the event itself against everything else so that it makes some kind of sense in a bigger picture, which is a hard thing to do.”

Gibson explained that the script took him and his two co-writers about seven years to write.

“There’s a lot required because [the script is] an acid trip. I’ve never read anything like it,” he said. “There’s some crazy stuff. In order to tell the story properly you have to start with the fall of the angels. You’re in another realm. You need to go [to] Hell. You need to go to Sheol.”

Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ,” is returning to the role for both sequels. He said that he is approaching the role in a spiritual way, including through prayer and fasting.

“I’m not going to play Jesus,” he said on an episode of Raymond Arroyo’s podcast. “I need Him to play me.”

Caviezel explained that, despite the demanding filming schedule, he intends to receive the Eucharist daily while playing the role.

Gibson also believes the films have spiritual importance, telling Rogan that he hopes they will help convince people of the historicity of Christ’s Resurrection and the witness of the Apostles.

“Nobody dies for a lie,” Gibson said.

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