It has been two decades since “The Passion of the Christ” shocked the world with its realistic portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus.
Now, rumors have been swirling until they were confirmed that Oscar-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson was in Malta, working with a production team on getting things set up for filming of the sequel to “Passion.”
It is reported by Collider that filming for the sequel, tentatively titled “The Resurrection” for now, could begin filming as early as 2025.
According to the Italian news group Italpress, Gibson and his team had also set up meetings with the Maltin government to ensure that shooting was allowed and go on uninterrupted. The first film was also filmed in Italy, with Gibson self-funding up to $30 million of his own money towards the marketing and distribution of the project.
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With the possibility of a sequel to the 2004 smash-hit, the actor who portrayed Jesus, Jim Caviezel, had previously said that he was all on-board to reprise the role, as confirmed by Entertainment Weekly.
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The film’s script has seen numerous rewrites throughout the years. Gibson and co-writer Randall Wallace—an Oscar nominee for “Braveheart”—are said to have crafted at least six versions.
Wallace announced in April that the screenplay was finally finished. While plot details are still being kept secret, hints suggest that the sequel will explore a more supernatural angle than the first film.
Gibson revealed as much in an interview with the National Catholic Register in 2022 when asked about “The Resurrection.”
Well, it’s a huge subject, and it’s not a linear narrative, so that in order to have it mean something and resonate for almost anybody that watches it, again, you’re not preaching to the choir. You have to have…you have to juxtapose the central event that I’m trying to tell with everything else around it in the future, in the past and in other realms, and that’s kind of getting a little sci-fi out there. It’s a big story. It’s a difficult concept, and it has taken me a long time to focus and find a way to tell that story in a way that really delivers to somebody who may know nothing about any of the central story.
Christian programming has been getting a major boost ever since “The Passion of the Christ” earned $612 million worldwide. Since then we have seen projects like “God’s Not Dead” and “The Chosen” captivate audiences and put a renewed focus on Jesus and the importance of faith.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
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Abby Trivett