Mel Gibson’s long-awaited follow-up to one of the biggest R-rated films of all time is finally coming together, with filming on The Resurrection of the Christ set to begin in August of this year. However, the movie will have to go a long way at the box office to match the success of its predecessor. Everything known about Resurrection indicates that it will explore the three days following Jesus’ crucifixion, but concrete story details are under wraps. Many have speculated that the film could have a much greater fantastical edge, following Jesus’ spiritual journey through that period.
Faith-based films have found incredible success in domestic markets in recent years, and there are many reasons to believe Resurrection could do well. The true story-inspired Sound of Freedom made it into the top 10 highest-grossing films domestically in 2023, and the company behind the film, Angel Studios, has continued to find audiences with their other offerings, including their series, The Chosen. Still, there are some questions about Mel Gibson’s potential at the box office after Flight Risk failed to connect, and it remains to be seen if his next spiritual epic can live up to expectations.
Pᴀssion Of The Christ Is One Of The Biggest R-Rated Movies Ever
And The Biggest Faith-Based Movie Ever Made
The Pᴀssion of the Christ was released in 2004 and was an enormous hit. Produced for a modest $30 million, the film grossed $370 million domestically and $622 million worldwide. With these incredible numbers, Pᴀssion held the R-rated box office record in domestic markets for 20 years until it was finally dethroned last year by ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. This is a notable feat, because it also shows how significant the domestic interest in the film was, with Pᴀssion remaining the second-highest grossing R-rated film in the US and Canada to this day, outperforming giant hits like Joker and Oppenheimer.
It is surprising that Pᴀssion was able to make so much money, and still remain so high on this list, without even factoring in inflation. Much of the film’s success had to do with grᴀssroots organizing, which saw producers on the film reaching out to churches across the USA to organize advanced screenings. This guerrilla marketing strategy was controversial, but effective. Churches encouraged their congregants to see the film, bolstering the product’s success by tying it in with religious obligations to their faith and beliefs.
Resurrection Of The Christ Will Struggle To Beat Pᴀssion’s Box Office
The Box Office Has Changed, And The Pᴀssion Was An Anomaly
The Resurrection of the Christ certainly has the chance to do well, but it is worth noting that it would have to be one of the biggest movies of the year to match its predecessor’s success. The box office is much more difficult to navigate than it was in 2004, and audiences are more selective. Only the box office for 2024’s top seven movies were able to earn more than The Pᴀssion did 20 years prior, showing that Resurrection will have an incredibly difficult time living up to it.
There has also recently been discussion about splitting Resurrection into two films. This could also affect the box office, as several movies over the years with Part 1 attached to their names, like Mission: Impossible – ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Reckoning Part One, have underperformed.
The Pᴀssion integrated many spiritual elements into its story, but the film was a fairly realistic take on Jesus’ last days on Earth. Resurrection, meanwhile, will have a harder sell. Gibson appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience earlier this year, where he described the sequel as an “acid trip,” detailing how so many crazy and shocking elements have made their way into the script. These fantastical details may not be as easy to sell to general audiences, and could wind up hurting the film’s chances at the box office.
Resurrection Of The Christ Will Still Be A Major Success
The Film Will Almost Certainly Have A Strong Audience
Following the success of films like Sound of Freedom, which made $250 million worldwide, and a constant presence of similarly targeted faith-based and Christian movies throughout the years, Resurrection is likely to do very well. The Pᴀssion of the Christ recently trended on Netflix, and there is an enormous audience, especially domestically, who would turn out to see the rest of the story. Still, this will all be dependent on several details, as there are a few obstacles that will need to be overcome.
The first is the budget. If Resurrection is as strange as Gibson describes, the film could command a much larger price tag, which would make its bar to profitability that much higher. If Jim Caviezel is brought back, they will also need to de-age him digitally. Joker 2‘s box office showed that sequels to beloved R-rated films do not always connect, and audience perception towards Gibson has changed significantly over the years. With all of this in mind, the new film will not likely reap nearly as much profit as The Pᴀssion, though it will probably be a success.
Audiences have wanted to see the rest of Jesus’ story since the powerful The Pᴀssion of the Christ released more than 20 years ago, and that will finally happen with the release of The Resurrection of the Christ. The film is highly anticipated, and long rumored, although it remains to be seen if it can perform at nearly the same level as The Pᴀssion. Whether the film releases in 2026 or later, The Resurrection of the Christ will certainly have an interesting box office that will be worth paying attention to.
