I know, we’ve been here before—too many times. Terrence Malick’s long-gestating biblical epic “The Way of the Wind” remains in post-production, and that’s seven years after shooting wrapped.
Malick’s film is meant to be his retelling of the life of Jesus Christ. It stars Géza Röhrig as Jesus, Mark Rylance as multiple incarnations of Satan, and Matthias Schoenaerts as Saint Peter—who may, according to some involved, actually be the film’s co-lead.
Regardless, in an interview with the Mazsihisz podcast, Röhrig now seems to be hinting at a release this year, possibly in May, which is when the Cannes Film Festival takes place. He adds that it could be the final film of Malick’s career.
We didn't make such a picturesque, colorful Jesus film, which is what so many of them are, but instead this is directed by a real maestro. And presumably this is his Swan Song, this is his last film, he wanted to direct this film with Disney in the 90s, but Disney wouldn't give him the final cut rights. So then he did this, this script. And now, compared to the fact that the film was shot for three months and in seven countries, with a very small crew and very little money, he tried to tell this story at the twilight of his life. And so it's not like the church's, and it's not like anyone else's Jesus. It might come out in May, maybe in the fall, maybe, let's hope; I think that’s what I'm authorized to say. But you have to expect a long film, and if it's my career as a film actor, I think it's pretty much over with this role.
Malick, now 82, reportedly shot over 3,000 hours of footage. “The Way of the Wind” is rumored to include some of the filmmaker’s most unorthodox creative choices yet, including scenes of Jesus smoking cannabis and a lengthy (28 minutes!) “philosophical monologue” from Rylance’s Satan. Jesus performs no miracles in the film.
Listen, there’s skepticism all around this project. Has Malick’s perfectionism finally crossed into self-sabotage? His films have always been subject to lengthy, obsessive editing processes, with actors often discovering their roles drastically reduced or removed entirely. Christopher Plummer, who hated working with Malick on “The New World,” famously criticized that Malick “needs a writer desperately,” as his scripts tend to collapse into “pretentious” abstraction.
Complicating matters for Malick, Mel Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ”—which also tackles Jesus’ descent into Hades—is already in production and slated for a 2027 release.
“The Way of the Wind” is the longest time Malick has taken to edit a film, and it’s not even close. I remember a time when people were astounded by the three years of post-production on “The Tree of Life” and “A Hidden Life,” but those examples pale in comparison to the gargantuan task of shaping “The Way of the Wind.”