Mel Gibson is returning to the story of Jesus with his follow-up to The Passion of the Christ, called The Resurrection of Christ.
While fans hoped Jim Caviezel would reprise his old role, the 57-year-old actor won’t be back. Instead, Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen has been cast to play Jesus.
Entertainment Weekly reports that the decision to recast Jesus was mainly practical. The new film takes place on Good Friday, just three days after the crucifixion. The filmmakers would have needed heavy de-aging effects to make Caviezel look younger for this part. Thus, it was easier to recast.”
Why Jim Caviezel’s Jesus was recast and replaced in The Resurrection of the Christ?
The recast also shakes up other major roles, too. Monica Bellucci, who portrayed Mary Magdalene in the 2004 film, has been substituted by Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, known for Close to Me and Bloodline. Other actors joining the cast include Pier Luigi Pasino as Peter, Kasia Smutniak as Mary, Rupert Everett, and Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate.
In Gibson’s words, the film is “very ambitious” and will explore “the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle.”
Speaking with Deadline, Gibson said, “It’s about finding the way in that’s not cheesy or too obvious. I think I have ideas about how to do that and how to evoke things and emotions in people from the way you depict it and the way you shoot it.
He added, “So I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to require a lot of planning and I’m not wholly sure I can pull it off to tell you the truth, it’s super ambitious. But I’ll take a crack at it because that’s what you got to do, right, walk up to the plate, right?”
The Passion of the Christ was a massive hit, raking in $370 million in North America and $610 million worldwide. Mel Gibson produced and self-financed the film for just $30 million.
Until 2024, it held the record as the highest-grossing R-rated movie in the U.S. and the top-grossing independent film ever. The movie even scored Academy Awards for its cinematography, Makeup, and Music.
The Resurrection of Christ is one of Mel Gibson’s most personal projects since Braveheart, Hacksaw Ridge, and Apocalypto. The prequel was filmed entirely in Italy with an ultra-realistic set that’s sure to carry over into the sequel.
Gibson knows better than anyone how to capture suffering, having worked both in front of and behind the camera.
The Passion of the Christ is entirely in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin with subtitles, and it’s the same for the sequel as well.
