Mel Gibson is hard at work on his epic, two-part sequel to The Passion of the Christ, but he found time to make a stopover at Fan Expo Boston this weekend, where he was interviewed on stage about his career. During the interview, he discussed The Resurrection of the Christ, whose first part is due out in theaters on May 7th, 2027 (the second part will follow just over a year later, on May 25th, 2028). In addition to recasting Jesus Christ, with Jim Caviezel replaced by Jaakko Ohtonen, another crucial change is being made.
If you recall the first film, you’ll remember the entire movie was in Aramaic. That will not be the case with the sequel, with Gibson opting to shoot the new films in English. Gibson, who co-wrote the screenplay with his Braveheart collaborator Randall Wallace, explained the decision at Fan Expo, saying, “They’re both in English because the subject matter and just the theological download you have to go through is so complex that I don’t think people would like to have to read it in subtitles in a foreign language. You want to be able to digest it straight away. So I tailored the material to fit the audience, and I think having it in the vernacular would be better for it.”
The sequels deal with Jesus’ resurrection following his crucifixion, but they’re said to take a highly unique, unusual approach, with the story depicted in a non-linear style and featuring extensive visual effects, as portions of the movies deal with Christ exploring hell and encountering fallen angels and demons. According to Gibson, the films took over a decade to write, with his brother, Donal, sharing a story credit.
He also noted that the films have a natural splitting point between Parts One and Two, saying, “It had it in the script, but it had a natural breaking point. There’s Part One and Part Two, and they’re distinct. I think they stand alone as individual pieces, but they do complete one another. So that’s good.”
Are you looking forward to Gibson’s The Resurrection of the Christ? Let us know in the comments!