Mel Gibson’s The Resurrection of the Christ has set its filming window. Based on a script he penned alongside Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace, the long-awaited sequel to his 2004 biblical drama The Pᴀssion of the Christ will reportedly focus on the three days between Jesus’ death and his resurrection. Gibson’s depiction of Jesus’ crucifixion became a box office phenomenon, particularly among Christian audiences, making it the highest-grossing independent movie of all time. The Resurrection of the Christ is also set to reprise the roles of Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, and Francesco De Vito.

Now, Variety has reported that Resurrection of the Christ will start shooting in Rome this August. In partnership with Cinecittà Studios, CEO Manuela Cacciamani confirmed that the film will be held across a variety of rural southern Italian towns this summer, including Matera, where The Pᴀssion was previously sH๏τ.

What This Means For The Resurrection Of The Christ

Mel Gibson Returns To The Big Screen With Another Biblical Epic

Gibson has long expressed interest in a sequel to his successful religious epic, but The Resurrection of the Christ is shaping up to be more ambitious and unconventional than expected. Rather than following a linear narrative, the film reportedly explores Jesus’ resurrection through a lens that blends biblical themes with sci-fi elements “in the past” and “other realms.” Gibson has hinted that the story will be an “acid trip,” including a depiction of the fall of the angels and the Harrowing of Hell—an early Christian teaching that recounts Christ’s three-day descent into the fiery underworld to liberate souls before His resurrection.

Given the controversy surrounding the original film, The Resurrection is likely to spark debate. Much like The Pᴀssion‘s emphasis on scenes that weren’t in the Bible, the sequel appears to delineate from mainstream Christian theology, which could stand to alienate its overwhelmingly Evangelical audience. It also remains unclear whether Jim Caviezel will reprise his role as Jesus, considering Gibson had previously contended that the process of de-aging the actor with CGI would be too costly. This could apply to Maia Morgenstern’s Mary and Francesco De Vito’s Peter as well.

Our Take On Resurrection Of The Christ’s Filming Date

A Lengthy Production Timeline Casts Doubts

The Resurrection of the Christ was first confirmed years ago, with an initial plan to start filming in spring 2023. As production delays mounted, Gibson came forward in early 2025 to confirm that filming for The Resurrection would actually begin in 2026. The latest news pushes the production timeline significantly closer. Considering the announcement came from the studio itself, and the filmmaker had long completed The Resurrection of the Christ script, further delays would likely be attributed to challenges in casting major biblical figures. Given its false start, the summer 2025 date should be taken with caution.

Source: Variety