Mel Gibson directs actor Jim Caviezel in ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ (Photo: 20th Century Fox)
Mel Gibson’s long-delayed sequel to The Passion of the Christ will now be released as two separate films, with both parts scheduled for release in 2027.
The first instalment, titled The Resurrection of the Christ Part One, is set to arrive in cinemas on Good Friday, 26 March.
The second part will follow 40 days later, on Ascension Day, 6 May. Lionsgate will distribute both films theatrically.
The upcoming sequel continues from Gibson’s 2004 biblical drama The Passion of the Christ, which was, until recently, the highest-grossing R-rated film at the US box office, earning $370 million domestically and $610 million worldwide on a production budget of just $30 million.
It remains one of the most commercially successful independent films of all time and received three Academy Award nominations for Best Makeup, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.
Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene, the original film focused on the final twelve hours of Jesus’s life leading up to his crucifixion.
The sequel is expected to focus on the resurrection of Christ.
Mel Gibson, who co-wrote the scripts with Randall Wallace, has described the sequels as an “acid trip”, saying he had “never read anything like them”.
Gibson, who experienced a significant hiatus from Hollywood due to personal controversies, returned to directing with the 2025 thriller Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg. However, the film underperformed at the box office, grossing just $48 million globally. His previous directorial work includes Braveheart, Apocalypto, and Hacksaw Ridge.
Mel Gibson announces plan to split resurrection story into two-part biblical epic
