Mel Gibson’s upcoming film The Resurrection of the Christ, the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2004 hit The Passion of the Christ, has named Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen to portray Jesus, replacing Jim Caviezel who starred in the original. Principal photography began recently at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, with a completely new cast assembled for this project.
New Cast Members and Key Roles Announced
Besides Ohtonen’s lead role, the cast includes Cuban actress Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene, taking over from Monica Bellucci who held the part in the 2004 film. Kasia Smutniak, known for her role in Domina, will appear as Mary, replacing Maia Morgenstern. Italy’s Pier Luigi Pasino, who stars in the Netflix series The Law According to Lidia Poët, is cast as Peter, while Riccardo Scamarcio, recently seen in the Johnny Depp-directed biopic Modì, will play Pontius Pilate. Rupert Everett will also be featured in a small yet significant role.
Production Details and Reasons for Recasting
Since The Resurrection of the Christ covers the period immediately following Jesus’s crucifixion, the filmmakers chose to recast the entire ensemble. A source close to the production told Variety,
“it made sense to recast the whole film,”
and explained,
“They would have had to do all this CGI stuff, all this digital stuff — de-aging and all that — that would have been very costly.”
Despite Caviezel’s earlier openness to returning to the role during an April podcast, the creative decision was made to cast the 36-year-old Ohtonen, known for portraying the Danish warrior Wolland in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom.
Filming Locations and Timeline for Release
Filming is taking place at the historic Cinecittà Studios in Rome, including the new Studio 22, as well as on location in several ancient towns in southern Italy like Matera, Ginosa, Gravina, Laterza, and Altamura. These settings aim to provide authentic backgrounds to the biblical narrative.
The project is planned as a two-part series, with the first film scheduled for release on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, followed by the second installment 40 days later on Ascension Day, May 6. Lionsgate will handle the theatrical distribution, while Icon Productions and Bruce Davey produce alongside Mel Gibson.
Creative Vision and Story Focus
The original Passion of the Christ was notable for its use of Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin to enhance historical accuracy and immersion. Its story chronicled Jesus’s final 12 hours before crucifixion. In contrast, Gibson’s sequels—co-written with Randall Wallace of Braveheart fame—focus on the resurrection of Jesus and present a more surreal and intense narrative, which Gibson has described as an acid trip unlike anything he has encountered before.
