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Posted on 10/15/2025 7:58:55 AM PDT by Red Badger
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.
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.
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.
Because of the time frame in which “The Resurrection of the Christ” takes place — three days after Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday — “it made sense to recast the whole film,” a source close to the production told Variety. “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,” the source noted.
In April, the 57-year-old Caviezel had suggested on the “Arroyo Grande” podcast that he was ready to reprise his career-defining role of Jesus in the follow up. Ohtonen, who is 36, is presently best known for his role as the Dane warrior Wolland in the fifth season of Netflix’s historical epic “The Last Kingdom.”
“The Resurrection of the Christ” is being produced by Gibson, Bruce Davey and their Icon Productions banner with Lionsgate as the studio partner.
The original film, which is spoken in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin to create a more historically accurate and immersive experience, followed the final 12 hours before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Gibson has described the sequels as an “acid trip,” adding that he “never read anything like” the scripts, which the filmmaker wrote alongside “Braveheart” screenwriter Randall Wallace. As the title suggests, the plot is expected to focus on Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Other story details are being kept under wraps.
“The Resurrection of the Christ Part One” is slated for Good Friday on March 26, 2027, while “Part Two” is set for 40 days later on Ascension Day, May 6. Lionsgate will release the films in theaters.
Besides Cinecittà, where it occupies the new Studio 22 facility, “Resurrection” will also shoot in the ancient southern Italian town of Matera. Gibson is expected to shoot the sequel in other ancient Southern Italian rural locations, including Ginosa, Gravina Laterza and Altamura.
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It’s amazing how much that guy looks JUST LIKE JESUS!
(kidding. Everyone knows Jesus has long strawberry blonde hair.)
I’m looking forward to this movie. Seriously.
It’s DEI but in reverse. 😒
IED?
Too bad a small role in the new movie could not be found for Caviezel, but maybe Director Mel wanted a complete change of all the main characters. Focused on the present work.
It isn’t DEI at all, do you really think that Gibson is putting a lessor actor in the starring role for some reason or do you believe that Gibson searched hard and made the best choice he could?
LoL!
On the flip side, a lot of the Bible epic miniseries and material on streaming these days from “Chosen” to the “House of David” ARE making it a point to hire actors who either look like they’re from or ARE actually from the region where these events played out.
It’s total double standards. You’d be annoyed by a Latino person being cast as Abe Lincoln.
It’s right to be annoyed that in 2025, a non-Mediterranean or Middle Eastern LOOKING person isn’t cast as a major Biblical figure, the most major one of all.
Doesn’t help that Mel Gibson has an anti-Semitic rap sheet to boot.
Caviezel is now 57 years old, so the parts available to him would be limited.
He might have played an apostle, but I don’t think any were that old at that time.................
I’ve been looking forward to this movie for so long now. It’s hard not to react with disappointment that Jim Caviezel will not star. Of course I will reserve judgement until I see it. Still a sad announcement.
Jim Caviezel is 57 years old now, so he’s a bit too old for ‘Jesus’...........😁
Just what do you think Jews have to look like, especially Jesus himself? What do you think this current actor will look like like, do you think that the devout Christian and one of the greatest directors, Mel Gibson, is casting a Jesus that will look out of place as Jesus, is that what you thought as you watched Passion of the Christ?
From a purely superficial perspective, Caviezel has features more in keeping with the reality.
And Charlton Heston played a great Moses.
But fast forward to today, there’s no reason why a more accurate portrayal can’t be had.
“””””Doesn’t help that Mel Gibson has an anti-Semitic rap sheet to boot.”””””
You seem to have an ax to grind against Mel Gibson and the entire Christian thing.
Gibson has no anti-semitic rap sheet to overcome, anti-Christian Jews of Hollywood were tearing him apart without stop and started attacking him and the movie before it even started filming because they hate Jesus and Christianity, the night that Jewish cop stopped him Gibson went on a rant against the incredible Jewish attacks in Hollywood and the press he had been under for over 3 years, that night he had fallen off the wagon and been drinking straight Tequila, and he said things that fit his situation in his industry and about the attacks on his film, on Christianity, and on his career.
Please don’t tell me that Mary Magdalene wore the “hairdo” of today..LOL - a must for every woman appearing on TV.
A pretty woman. I don’t get out much so I don’t expect to see the movie but I’ll be surprised if it’s as good as Mel Gibson’s, “The Passion of The Christ.” Hope it will be.
I’m sure it will be!.....................
To answer your other questions:
- Not Caviezel but yes Hollywood productions of yore, including Biblical features, do seem dated and…off. Sometimes just outright giving “Book of Mormon” vibes rather than the ancient Holy Land. I mean some of those were also made in an era when the likes of Mickey Rooney played the Chinese neighbor nextdoor in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
- I actually think, it being ultimately an American-sourced production, and an American director — an American-born actor wouldn’t be as jarring as a Finnish one. It’s almost as if that was a subversive statement in itself. Again; because of Gibson’s anti-Semitic rap sheet.
Again, you seem to have a passionate and dishonest ax to grind against Mel Gibson and his Christian movie and other great Christian movies, and for some reason Finland.
The Passion of the Christ soundtrack is one of my all time favorite works of music. Period. It was written by an American composer, John Debney, but it captures the spirit of the region and time — and one of the chants and singers is Armenian in origin I believe.
Mel Gibson brought shame to a lot of is Catholics, yes.
Finland as a country does not have the historical or spiritual ties to the ancient church, and Holy Land, holy empires that even next-door Russia does.
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