Mel Gibson has finally found his new Jesus, and this time he’s heading to Finland for divine inspiration. After two decades of delays and rewrites, Gibson’s long-awaited sequel to The Passion of the Christ is finally rolling cameras in Rome with The Last Kingdom actor Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus, stepping into the sandals previously worn by Jim Caviezel.
Filming quietly began last week at Cinecittà Studios (the same place Gibson shot the original back in 2003), but don’t expect a reunion tour. Everyone’s been recast. Apparently, de-aging the old cast was “too expensive,” and considering Caviezel is now 57, playing a 33-year-old messiah would’ve required a miracle of its own.
Ohtonen, 36, best known for slicing Saxons in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom, now has the unenviable task of resurrecting one of cinema’s most controversial roles. He’ll be joined by Mariela Garriga from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning as Mary Magdalene (taking over from Monica Bellucci), Kasia Smutniak (Domina) as Mary, Pier Luigi Pasino (The Law According to Lidia Poët) as Peter, and Riccardo Scamarcio (Modì) as Pontius Pilate. Rupert Everett has also joined the cast in what’s being described as a “small but important role”.
The sequel, titled The Resurrection of the Christ, picks up three days after the crucifixion, which means no time jumps, no childhood flashbacks, and definitely no carpentry montages. Gibson’s vision is reportedly so ambitious that it’s been split into two parts: Part One hits theaters on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, and Part Two arrives 40 days later on Ascension Day, May 6, 2027.
Production has been a saga of biblical proportions. The movie was supposed to film in 2023, then 2024, but it seems 2025 is finally Gibson’s blessed year. He’s producing with Bruce Davey under their Icon Productions banner, with Lionsgate distributing. Filming will also extend beyond Cinecittà to the ancient towns of Matera, Ginosa, and Gravina Laterza.
The original Passion of the Christ (2004) was a phenomenon — grossing over $610 million worldwide and holding the record for highest-grossing R-rated film until Deadpool & Wolverine came along in 2024. Spoken entirely in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin, it set a new bar for historical realism and controversy. Gibson once described the sequel’s script, co-written with Braveheart scribe Randall Wallace, as “an acid trip.” That’s not a metaphor. It’s actually a direct quote.
Fans have been waiting over twenty years to see where Gibson takes the story next. And with a new cast, new energy, and a director who thrives on cinematic chaos, The Resurrection of the Christ could either be a redemption story or Hollywood’s most fascinating experiment in faith-based filmmaking. Either way, the wait is almost over.
Let’s hope Jaakko Ohtonen does as good a job as Jim Caviezel as the new Jesus.
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