Mel Gibson Recasts Jesus, Mary Magdalene in ‘The Passion of the Christ’ Follow-Up

Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci will not reprise their roles in the two-part follow-up film, which debuts in 2027.

Mel Gibson arrives at the UK premiere of 'Daddy's Home 2' at Vue West End in London on Nov. 16, 2017. John Phillips/Getty Images

Actors Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci will not be reprising their roles as Jesus and Mary Magdalene in “The Resurrection of the Christ”—the long-awaited follow-up to Mel Gibson’s 2004 epic biblical drama, “The Passion of the Christ.”

Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen, who starred in the British historical drama “The Last Kingdom,” will play the titular role in the film, which is set to be released by Lionsgate in two installments in the spring of 2027.

“We are delighted to announce that Jaakko Ohtonen has been cast in the lead role of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s highly anticipated sequel,” Ohtonen’s agency, Subtitle Talent, posted Wednesday on Instagram.

The 36-year-old actor will star opposite Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, who is known for her role in the “Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning” movies.

Garriga, also 36, took to Instagram to express her excitement about being cast as Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Jesus.

“Let the adventure begin!” she wrote. “I’m beyond excited to share this news with you. It’s going to be epic.”

“The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One” is scheduled to premiere on March 26, 2027, Good Friday, a day that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

“Part Two” will debut on May 6, 2027, Ascension Day, which celebrates Jesus’s bodily ascent to heaven 40 days after his resurrection.

Gibson will direct the installments from a script he wrote with screenwriter Randall Wallace. The filmmaker will also serve as a producer alongside his Icon Productions partner Bruce Davey.

Movie-goers wait in line in front of an advertisement for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" at a theater in New York City, on Feb. 25, 2004. Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

Other cast shakeups include Polish-Italian actress Kasia Smutniak, who will take on Maia Morgenstern’s role of Mary, Jesus’s mother, Variety reported.

Actor Pier Luigi Pasino will portray the apostle Peter, a part previously played by Francesco De Vito, while fellow Italian Riccardo Scamarcio, who appeared in the 2023 mystery thriller “A Haunting in Venice,” will star as Pontius Pilate, who in 2004 was portrayed by Hristo Shopov.

Two decades have passed since Caviezel, now 57, starred in “The Passion of the Christ.” Since the follow-up is set three days after Jesus’s crucifixion, a source close to production told Variety that “it made sense to recast the whole film.”

“They would have had to do all this CGI stuff, all this digital stuff—de-aging and all that—that would have been very costly,” the source noted. The Epoch Times spoke with a knowledgeable source involved with the follow-up, who confirmed the casting news.

“The Passion of the Christ” broke box office records during its theatrical premiere. The film, which had a $30 million production budget, garnered more than $83 million in its opening weekend alone, earning more than $610 million worldwide, Box Office Mojo reports.

Directed and co-written by Gibson, “The Passion of the Christ” was the highest-grossing R-rated film in North America up until the release of Marvel’s 2024 superhero film “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

The religious drama depicted the final 12 hours of Jesus’s life on earth, scoring three Oscar nominations in 2005 in the cinematography, original score, and makeup categories.