UPDATE: I don’t know about you, but contrary to what Mel Gibson might have indicated last month, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ might actually be starting production in the coming weeks. All signs are pointing towards the film nabbing an Easter holiday release on Friday, April 3rd, 2026.
An Italian outlet is reporting that this coming April Gibson is scheduled to arrive in the Province of Matera in Southern Italy to “shoot scenes” for ‘Resurrection of the Christ.’
Then we have a Production Weekly listing a March shoot, spanning three countries (Italy, Mexico and Malta). Some of the other actors involved include Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, and Francesco De Vito. No word yet on who the cinematographer will be on ‘Resurrection.’
Speaking of Caviezel, over the weekend he had a speaking event at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, DC. An eyewitness account had the actor sporting a full-grown beard, and lengthy hair — no doubt for his upcoming role in Gibson’s sequel. The actor briefly mentioned how he was shooting the sequel “very soon.”
EARLIER: Earlier this month, Mel Gibson told the JRE Podcast that he wasn’t sure when his ‘Passion of the Christ’ sequel would be starting production.
I don’t have a start date. I just have to begin pre-production and see what happens. It’s just going to roll in its own time. It’s taking its own time.
It turns out that not only has pre-production begun, but cameras might start to roll on this one imminently.
A press release has revealed that Jim Caviezel, who will reprise his role as Jesus in the sequel, is “just a month out from starting production on ‘The Resurrection.”
Gibson has continuously delayed shooting ‘Resurrection.’ The film was originally supposed to shoot in 2023, then 2024, and last we heard, 2025. I guess third time’s the charm. The sequel to Gibson’s 2004 mega-blockbuster has been ruminating in development for almost two decades.
One key factor that kept delaying ‘Resurrection’ was the question of which version of the screenplay would be used for the film. Since 2016, Gibson had been hard at work on the script with his brother, Donal, and “Braveheart” screenwriter Randall Wallace. There have been at least six drafts of the screenplay. Gibson recently confirmed that the final draft had been written.
The official title is said to be “The Resurrection of Christ.” The story would focus on the twenty-four hours encompassing Jesus’ passion and the events that occurred three days between his crucifixion and resurrection. Gibson has described ‘Resurrection’ as an “acid trip” with Jesus going into “other realms.”
’Passion of the Christ,’ released in 2004, grossed $612M on a scant $30 million budget making it one the most successful independently-financed movies of all-time.