Jim Caviezel will not return as Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s upcoming sequels to The Passion of the Christ, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Lionsgate will distribute the two-part project,
titled The Resurrection of the Christ, which is set for a theatrical
release in 2027. Production is expected to begin soon in Rome, with
several key roles including those played by Caviezel and Monica
Bellucci (Mary Magdalene) being recast.
Gibson’s 2004 biblical epic The Passion of the Christ
chronicled Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion and became a box office phenomenon,
grossing over $600 million worldwide. Its $370 million domestic take
made it the highest-grossing R-rated film in U.S. history until 2023 a
record that stood for nearly two decades.
After years in development, The Resurrection of the
Christ: Part One is slated to open on March 26, 2027 (Good Friday),
followed by Part Two on May 6, 2027 (Ascension Day). Gibson is
producing through Icon Productions alongside longtime collaborator Bruce
Davey.
The role of Jesus was a defining one for Caviezel, who later
starred in CBS’s Person of Interest and the indie hit Sound of
Freedom. In an April interview on the Arroyo Grande podcast,
the actor expressed hope about returning to the role, acknowledging both the
long wait and the challenge of revisiting such material: “It takes the right
time, and only God knows that. Am I scared? Yes but that’s how you know you’re
ready.”
Upon its release in 2004, The Passion of the Christ
drew both acclaim and controversy, with THR describing it as “a medieval
Passion Play with much better effects” and calling out its “near pornographic
violence.”
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