Christ is returning, but according to one rumor, Jim Caviezel is not. According to Page Six, Mel Gibson will move forward on his sequels to “The Passion of the Christ” with an entirely new cast.
While Mel Gibson has for years spoken about a follow-up to the surprise box office hit, until recently, there were no signs that the film would actually come to fruition. However, this year has brought several announcements about the long anticipated sequel.
At the time of its release in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” was controversial for its graphic depictions of the violence endured by Jesus, as well as for accusations of antisemitism.
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The project was so controversial that Gibson famously began production of the film without outside funding because he was unable to garner support for the project.
“The Passion of the Christ” went on to earn more than $600 million worldwide and became culturally significant for Christians and non-Christians alike.
Earlier this year, it was announced that a sequel would be released in two parts. The first film is set to be released on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, with the second installment set for release on Ascension Day, May 6, 2027.
It was also reported that filming would begin in August. However, it does not appear that any filming has yet taken place.
Caviezel portrayed Jesus Christ in the 2004 film, and Monica Bellucci portrayed Mary Magdalene. Page Six has reported that an anonymous source indicated that neither will reprise their role and that the casting team for the film is currently meeting with actors in Rome.
Another source told Page Six that the reasons for recasting are the cost associated with digitally de-aging actors to compensate for the two-decade lapse between the “The Passion of the Christ” and its sequel, which are set days apart from one another, as well as scheduling issues.
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“There was a lot of back and forth,” the source said, adding that the films have been in pre-production “for a couple of months.”
