Academy Award-winning director Mel Gibson's sequel to what many consider to be the greatest and most financially successful faith-based films of all time — "The Passion of the Christ" — has finally been given a significant update. And it's good news for fans of Gibson and the original film.
"The Passion" isn't just getting one sequel, but two, both of which will be released within months of each other. Lionsgate Films announced the release on Wednesday. "The Resurrection of the Christ" will be released in two parts.
Part one will hit theaters on Good Friday, March 26, 2027. Part two will be released six weeks later on May 6, 2027. The latter date marks the celebration of Ascension Day, which is when the risen Christ returned to heaven, where He was crowned King of Kings and took His place at the right hand of the Father.
The film was first announced on May 15. Lionsgate revealed it would be partnering up with Gibson's Icon Productions to make the two sequels.
“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation. It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless,” Adam Fogelson, the current chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, remarked in a press release about the partnership.
Gibson, speaking on his partnership with the studio, said, “Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ.’”
When the first film hit theaters in 2004, it made a staggering $80 million on opening weekend against a budget of only $30 million. When the worldwide totals came in after the movie's theatrical release, "The Passion of the Christ" made $600 million.
Insiders working on the sequels said that the budget for the following two entries in the franchise would likely be significantly higher, at over $100 million. The report revealed that the two movies are set to be filmed in Rome. Several other filming locations have been planned, including southern Italian towns of Altamura, Ginosa, Gravina, Laterza, and Matera.
The history in these specific locations is essential to the story Gibson wants to tell.
"These specific filming locations give Gibson's movies a physical and spiritual authenticity that few places on earth can offer," Chris Enloe, faith editor for Blaze Media, explained. "The ancient stone towns and landscapes evoke the biblical world while also echoing the early church's rise from suffering to glory. Gibson isn't just telling a story. He's inviting viewers into a space where history, faith, and cinematic vision converge."
President Donald Trump chose Gibson to serve as a special ambassador to Hollywood in January, just after Gibson turned 69. Gibson, along with fellow actors Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight, was charged with working to breathe new life into the liberal cesspool of Hollywood.
"These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest," Trump stated at the time he made the appointments.
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