More than two decades after Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” debuted in theaters, the famed director’s much-anticipated sequel is expected to begin filming.
Cinecittà Studios CEO Manuela Cacciamani reportedly told local media this week the movie, “The Resurrection of the Christ,” is slated to begin shooting scenes on-location in Rome this August. News of the production’s start time was first reported by Variety.
Gibson’s 2004 box-office success — a blockbuster of biblical proportions — became the largest-grossing film of all time when it was first released nationwide. The 69-year-old celebrity used Cinecittà Studios then, too.
Here’s a look at what the Italian studio has to offer:
Cacciamani disclosed Gibson and the Hollywood star’s Icon Productions will use Cinecittà Studios’ newest lot, Studio 22, as its main filming location. He is also expected to film in other rural southern Italian locations, like Ginosa, Gravina Laterza, and Altamura.
“Some production or details are not available because they are covered by a confidentiality agreement,” Cacciamani told Il Sole 24, “but I can confirm that the next film directed by Mel Gibson, produced by Icon Productions, ‘The Resurrection of Christ,’ will be shot entirely in Cinecittà starting in August and requires many theaters and stage constructions.”
Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in the first film, is expected to reprise his role in the sequel.
During a recent conversation with long-form podcaster Joe Rogan, Gibson oddly described the script for “The Resurrection” as akin to “an acid trip,” adding, “I’ve never read anything like it.”
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“There’s some crazy stuff,” he said. “I think in order to really tell the story properly, you have to start with the fall of the angels, which is, you’re in another place, you’re in another realm. You know, you need to go to hell, you need to go to Sheol.”
Gibson, a Catholic, went on to tell Rogan it is “not going to be easy” to tell the story of Jesus’ resurrection, explaining the film will take “a lot of planning.” The famed star admitted, “I’m not wholly sure I can pull it off, to tell you the truth.”
“It’s really, super ambitious,” he said, “but I’ll take a crack at it, because that’s what you got to do.”
When it hit theaters, “The Passion of the Christ” earned a staggering $370.8 million in the box office. In a 2023 interview with Shawn Ryan, a screenwriter and podcaster, that the sequel to the 2004 movie will be “the biggest film in history.”
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