After nearly two decades, The Passion of the Christ is finally getting a sequel. Mel Gibson has officially partnered with Lionsgate to bring The Resurrection of the Christ to the big screen, reuniting with his longtime producing partner Bruce Davey through their Icon Productions.
The announcement was made by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson and Gibson himself, confirming that the long-gestating follow-up is happening, and production is expected to kick off in late summer.
The original Passion of the Christ was a cultural and box office phenomenon when it was released in 2004, raking in $370 million domestically and more than $610 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.
For a time, it held the title of the highest-grossing R-rated movie in U.S. history. Its visceral depiction of the final hours of Jesus’ life sparked widespread discussion and controversy, but it also proved there was a massive global appetite for faith-based epics told on a sweeping cinematic scale.
While no plot details were revealed, though the title gives a pretty obvious hint, many of the original cast members are expected to return. That includes Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus, as well as Monica Bellucci, who played Mary Magdalene. Gibson co-wrote the script and will again direct.
Fogelson said: “For many, many people across the globe, The Resurrection of the Christ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation. It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless.
“Mel is one of the greatest directors of our time, and this project is both deeply personal to him and the perfect showcase for his talents as a filmmaker. My relationship with Mel and Bruce dates back 30 years, and I am thrilled to be partnering with them once again on this landmark event for audiences.”
Gibson added: “Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor for The Resurrection of the Christ. I’ve enjoyed working with Adam and the team several times over recent years.
“I know the clever ingenuity, passion, and ambition the entire team commits to their projects and I’m confident they will bring everything they can to the release of this movie.”
Gibson previously described the film as “very ambitious” and said the story not only covers “the fall of the angels” but also “the death of the last apostle.”
He said: “It’s about finding the way in that’s not cheesy or too obvious. I think I have ideas about how to do that and how to evoke things and emotions in people from the way you depict it and the way you shoot it.
“So I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to require a lot of planning and I’m not wholly sure I can pull it off to tell you the truth, it’s super ambitious.
“But I’ll take a crack at it because that’s what you got to do, right, walk up to the plate, right?”
Gibson also said that its “not a linear narrative,” adding that “you have to juxtapose the central event that I’m trying to tell with everything else around it in the future, in the past, and in other realms, and that’s kind of getting a little sci-fi out there.”
Gibson previously worked with Lionsgate on Hacksaw Ridge and is behind his upcoming thriller Flight Risk starring Mark Wahlberg. Lionsgate also distributes Icon’s film library, which includes The Passion of the Christ.
Source: Deadline
