Mel Gibson has confirmed that a script for the sequel to The Passion of the Christ, titled The Resurrection of the Christ, has been completed. He also corroborated reports of Jim Caviezel returning to play Jesus and revealed he would use de-aging techniques to make up for the two decades since the original.
While appearing on the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Gibson said he was hoping to begin shooting the film next year, explaining they would need preparation time to pull off the “acid trip” of a script, which he wrote with his brother and screenwriter Randall Wallace over seven years.
“I think in order to really tell the story properly you have to start with the fall of the angels, which [means] you’re in another place, you’re in another realm,” Gibson said. “You need to go to Hell. You need to go to Sheol.”
After adding that Satan would be a character in the film, Gibson said he was confident that modern de-aging techniques would make it look believable that the movie was taking place less than a week after the original. “It’s supposed to be three days later,” he said. “I think I have to use a few techniques [but] they’re starting to get really good with the CGI.”
In September 2024, it was reported Gibson was in Malta with a production team to scout potential filming locations for the movie, with other possible locales including Israel and Morocco.
During the recording of Gibson’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, he found out that his Los Angeles home was lost in the wildfires. Thankfully, his wife and son were safely evacuated.
Before The Passion of the Christ sequel arrives, catch up on the original through VOD or DVD/Blu-ray.