Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ 2 is finally becoming a reality. Here's everything we know about the film, its surprising plot, and its stars.
Summary
- The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection is confirmed as the sequel to the 2004 film, with Jim Caviezel reprising his role as Jesus. It aims to continue the narrative and explore the three days between Jesus's death and resurrection.
- The sequel may be released as a multi-part film, potentially spanning two or three movies. However, the specific release date has not been announced, with Easter 2024 being a possible target.
- The film's focus on the Harrowing of Hell, based on Catholic visions, could generate controversy and make it challenging for Gibson to garner the same evangelical support he received for the first movie. More updates and a trailer are expected as filming progresses.
Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ 2 is confirmed, but the sequel looks to be a lot more controversial. In 2004, The Passion of the Christ took the world by storm. The film was of particular appeal to American evangelicals, and it was successful in many international markets as well, with Christians across the world embracing the R-rated epic. Principally inspired by the Gospel of John, The Passion of the Christ also incorporated a number of Catholic traditions and even the visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824). Its release became particularly controversial due to charges of antisemitism — not helped by Gibson's own personal controversies.
Since 2004, Gibson has openly talked about the possibility of doing a sequel that continues the narrative. The Passion of the Christ was undeniably one of the most important Biblical epics ever made by Hollywood, so it's not really a surprise to see Gibson finally attempt to turn this into something of a loose franchise — especially at a time when franchises tend to have more drawing power than individual actors and directors. But it remains to be seen whether Gibson can pull off another hit, appealing to the same evangelical audience who responded so positively to the first movie.
The Latest Passion Of The Christ 2 News
With the earlier announcement that the film would officially be titled The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, the latest news regarding the Mel Gibson epic concerns an update on its scope and scale. As reported by Coming Soon, the film's official IMDb page title was changed to The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection - Part 1 in early November 2023 which implies it will be a multi-part film. According to actor Jim Caviezel who is reprising his role as Jesus, "It might be two films. Could be three, but I think it’s two".
Passion Of The Christ 2 Is Confirmed
The Passion of the Christ 2 is confirmed and it is due to begin filming in spring 2023. Star Jim Caviezel confirmed the script had been completed in September 2020, and claimed it would be "the biggest film in world history." Gibson has worked with Randall Wallace on the script, with Wallace acknowledging interest in the sequel. "I always wanted to tell this story," Wallace confirmed back in 2016. "The Passion is the beginning and there's a lot more story to tell... The evangelical community considers The Passion the biggest movie ever out of Hollywood, and they kept telling us that they think a sequel will be even bigger."
In addition, IMDb has listed a 2024 release window for the film, but this could obviously change. Considering the recent updates regarding the film's IMDb page, it won't be long before release information becomes more firm.
The Passion of the Christ was released on Ash Wednesday in 2004, an important holiday for many Christians.
Passion Of The Christ 2 Cast
One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of the Passion of the Christ 2 camp is that Jim Caviezel is expected to return as Jesus. The first film was one of his highest-profile movies, and he's subsequently gone on to appear in a wide range of films and TV shows, including the likes of Outlander, The Prisoner, and Person of Interest. He also returned to the world of biblical epics for Paul, Apostle of Christ, where he played the apostle Luke alongside James Faulkner's Paul. He's clearly been kept in the loop on discussions about The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, openly speaking about the script as far back as 2020.
A surprising amount of cast members from the 20-year-old film are returning to continue the Bible's epic story alongside Caviezel as Jesus. Reportedly, Maia Morgenstern (The Seventh Room) is coming back to reprise her integral role as Mary, Jesus' mother. Actor Francesco De Vito (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) will once again appear as Peter, one of the most well-known of Jesus' apostles. Finally, Christo Jikov (In Memory of Me) is rumored to be reprising the role of John, whose gospel Passion of the Christ was based upon. It is unknown if Monica Belluci or Rosalinda Celentano will return as Magdalene and Satan, respectively.
Passion Of The Christ 2 Story
The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection appears to be a logical approach since Christians believe Jesus died and rose from the dead, and The Passion of the Christ ended with the briefest glimpse of the resurrected Jesus. Over the years, however, there have been consistent reports the resurrection itself will not be the main focus; rather, that the film will focus on the three days between Jesus' death and resurrection, where many Christians believe Jesus descended into Hell. Many of The Passion of the Christ's scenes weren't in the Bible, and the sequel could continue that trend.
Some scenes were drawn from Catholic visionaries such as Mary of Jesus of Ágreda (1602-1665) and Anne Catherine Emmerich. The latter is particularly important, in that she had a vision of the event known by Catholic theologians as the "Harrowing of Hell," in which Jesus descended into Hell and tore down its walls, declaring war on the Devil and his kingdom. It's important to note such events are only alluded to in a few verses in the Bible, meaning this particular idea has generated debate among Christians. If Gibson does focus on the Harrowing of Hell, he may well find it much more difficult to unite evangelicals behind him this time.
The Passion of the Christ
Summary: Directed by Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ is a biblical drama that follows Jesus Christ in his final 12 hours before and during the crucifixion. Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, the 2004 film was highly controversial for its graphic violence, but it was a box office success. Director: Mel Gibson Release Date: 2004-03-15 Cast: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern Writers: Mel Gibson Rating: pg-13 Runtime: 127minutes Genres: Drama Budget: $30million Studio(s): 20th Century Distributor(s): 20th Century, Warner Bros. Pictures
Tom Bacon is Head of Screen Rant's Star Wars coverage. Although he's now dedicated to Star Wars content, he's a lifelong fan of several other major franchises including Doctor Who and Marvel. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon. A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too.
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