For many people, Mel Gibson’s 2004 blockbuster The Passion of the Christ is the kind of movie you can only watch once, so visceral is the violence and despair on display throughout the 127-minute runtime. Which is perhaps why fans of the movie have been clamoring (and possibly praying) for so long for Gibson’s long-gestating sequel plans (first unveiled in 2016) to come to fruition. Now we finally have some huge updates for the pair of follow-ups, The Resurrection of the Christ Parts One & Two, both visual and otherwise.
The First Look At Jaakko Ohtonen's Jesus
Perhaps not the most action-packed image, this first look at The Resurrection of the Christ Part One pretty much matches up with what one might automatically think of if someone says "Picture Jesus outside." He isn't showing any aftermath of anything that went on during The Passion, so at least there's that.
Although Gibson and producer Bruce Davey originally intended to keep The Passion's cast intact for the sequels, and aimed to utilize digital de-aging technology to pull off the feat of making it seem like only three days had passed since the first film's events. That plan was jettisoned in October 2025, with the sequels bringing in an all new cast to avoid the high costs of de-aging so many characters.
As such, that's why it's Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen taking over the titular Christ role, with Mariela Garriga now portraying Mary Magdalene. (Other cast members include Kasia Smutniak, Rupert Everett, Pier Luigi, Lorenzo James Henrie, Riccardo Scamarcio and many more.)
The Bad News: Release Dates Are Being Pushed For Both Parts Of The Resurrection
Part One originally had a release date of March 26, 2027, but will now be coming out on May 6, 2027. Not a huge bump for this one. However...
Part Two was originally locked in for that May 6, 2027 date. With the first now in its place, the second sequel has been pushed back more than a full year, to May 25, 2028.
There's no word on why the dates were rearranged, but one can assume that a lengthy post-production process is a major factor. The fact that the lengthy production ended ahead of schedule makes the original release plan even more questionable, but hopefully this new set-up makes for the best viewing experience.
The Good News: Filming Has Wrapped, And Mel Gibson Has Nothing But Praise To Share
Not that I'd expect the director to come out of the cave griping about this being a lousy experience, but given the two movies filmed across a variety of Italian cities for over four months, plenty of things could have gone sour. That doesn't seem to be the case at all, however, as Mel Gibson had this to say (via Variety):
[It's] exactly as I envisioned it. I’m deeply grateful to my incredibly talented cast and crew for pouring their hearts into this production. Together, we created something powerful. This film represents a major part of my life’s work, and it has demanded everything of me as a filmmaker and as an artist. This is far more than a film to me. It’s a mission I’ve carried for over 20 years to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history.
Mel Gibson
More positivity came from Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, who said:
Mel is a true visionary with an artist’s eye for scale and a storyteller’s instinct for emotional truth. Every image we’ve seen from set feels like a masterwork painting brought to life. There are very few directors who can operate at this level of epic spectacle while at the same time delivering such depth and conviction.
Adam Fogelson
The Passion is based on one of the most infamous historical events of all time, perhaps surprisingly made over $600 million worldwide, and for years was the highest-grossing R-rated movie, at least until Deadpool and Wolverine came around and sunk its metatextual claws into the Biblical epic’s box office. Its legitimacy has often been questions, and such skepticism will no doubt be raised for The Resurrection, given its titular act, though I suppose Gibson’s past comments about it being a trippy experience take the onus away from rooting it in pure realism, as it were.
Will Mel Gibson be able to circle back around to the written-but-mysteriously unproduced Lethal Weapon 5 script once The Resurrection films are completely in the can? Or will we all be too old for that sh-t by that point? On that note, maybe a crossover movie with Methuselah and Noah joining Riggs and Murtaugh…
With plenty of top-notch 2026 movie releases to get through before it arrives, The Resurrection of the Christ Part One will now hit theaters on May 6, 2027.
