Posted on 10/14/2025 9:01:44 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Mel Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ,” his long-delayed follow up to 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” has cast Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen (“The Last Kingdom”) in the role of Jesus, replacing original star Jim Caviezel.
Mary Magdalene, a role held in “Passion” by Monica Bellucci, is being played in “Resurrection” by Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, who starred in the “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” films as Marie. Polish-born actor Kasia Smutniak (“Domina”) is replacing Maia Morgenstern as Mary; Peter is being played by Italy’s Pier Luigi Pasino, who stars in Netflix Italy original “The Law According to Lidia Poët”; and the Pontius Pilate role will be played by Italy’s Riccardo Scamarcio, who recently led the Johnny Depp-directed biopic “Modì.” Rupert Everett will appear in an unspecified small but important role.
Shooting started last week at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios on the film, with its main ensemble having been entirely recast. More than 20 years ago, Gibson shot the original “Passion of the Christ” at Cinecittà, which became one of the largest-grossing independent films of all time with a worldwide box office of $610 million. As previously announced, “The Resurrection of the Christ” will be split into two films, with each part set to release in 2027.
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
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I would preference an Israeli actor for Jesus, or Jewish at the very least even from elsewhere — or Mediterranean, Middle Eastern at least in part. Not just for integrity, but also given Mel Gibson’s personal rap sheet… 🫤🤷🏻♀️
Is that guy the *new* Jesus??????
If so, he could have done WAY better.
That would be quite a stretch to ask a Jewish actor to portray someone they think never existed, or was a false prophet, or a charlatan in their eyes. Let alone how a potential audience would react.
You can be Jewish heritage and not be super religious any which way. Just be a good actor …but there’s something about embodying the region or some innate ties to the culture at least a LITTLE! 😭
He's got pronouns.
The actor that plays Peter in “The Chosen”, Shahar Isaac, is Jewish/ Isreali.
Indeed.
How about that.
Bummer if Jim Caviezel isn’t in it, but Mel is one of the few directors I don’t doubt. He’s a filmmaker on a completely different level.
You can be Jewish or Muslim and not be observant or religious enough to feel that you are violating anything…Or be distantly enough connected…It’s true though that “Old Testament” would likely be inoffensive to both. The resurrection is ultimately what sets Christianity apart after all. (Muslims don’t recognize the crucifixion either.)
You can never know until you get the make-up, costumes, and directing going. The important thing is how good an actor he is. Mel has a pretty good record of casting just the right actors for his films.
What incredible pressure Mel is facing in making this movie after the daring risk with the first one that made history in its success by every measure, but Mel is an obsessive artist and will probably pull it off.
If so, he could have done WAY better.
You can't judge from one photo.
Lots of actors look entirely different from one role to the next. Makeup, costumes, and acting itself, can be transformative.
The concern isn’t what the actor thinks, it is what the Christians think.
You can see it for free on Tubi.
He looks like he could be a convincing Viking.
I’ve seen Apocalypto, it really revealed his magnificence as a director and confirmed him as an independent thinker, his talent and grounding in reality is mind blowing.
I sure hope so.
I never did like the gay Jesus look.
I never could picture a carpenter as being a very effeminate physique. Certainly not one that would be a threat driving money changers out of the Temple with a whip He made Himself.
I agree, “Apocalypto” was a stunning film.
Yeah…He’s Finnish and giving more androgyny vibes than Viking. (I realize Finland isn’t technically Scandinavia but still.)
And even IF he is a good actor… 🙄it’s giving DEI in reverse. It’s giving Book of Mormon!
Biblical material is one area where actors at least physically resembling the time and region should be cast. The actress playing Mary Magdalene is Cuban but she looks like she can be Middle Eastern so it works.
There are just too many film markets nowadays to pull from and Hollywood is connected and spread out globally than in Charlton Heston/Cecil B. DeMille days… I highly doubt that they couldn’t find someone talented enough.
Disappointed.
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