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The Lionsgate film studio has announced that Mel Gibson’s highly anticipated film The Resurrection of the Christ will be split into two parts, with each part being released in 2027 on special holy days in the Catholic calender.
In an X social media post on 5 August, the film company announced that part one of the film will be released on 26 March 2027, which is Good Friday, while part two will be released just over a month later on 6 May 2027, thereby falling on the Feast of the Ascension.
The film company announced earlier in the year on 15 May that it was teaming up with Gibson for the production and that it will distribute the movie worldwide. The deal marked a significant step in terms of momentum for the production of a film that has been in the works for close to a decade.
The two-part film is a sequel to The Passion of the Christ, released in 2004, which proved to be one of the biggest independent productions of all time and marked a breakthrough for religious-themed films.
Starring Jim Caviezel as Christ and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalen, The Passion was produced and self-financed by Gibson and his production company for a reported $30 million. The gamble paid off when the film had an opening weekend of $83 million, before taking in $370 million in North American theatres and more than $610 million globally.
“For many, many people across the globe, The Resurrection of the Christ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation," Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson told The Hollywood Reporter. "It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless."
Speaking to Joe Rogan on a podcast about the forthcoming film, Gibson disclosed that “[i]n order to really tell the story properly, you have to really start with the fall of the angels. You need to go to hell.”
The script for the film was co-written with Gibson's brother Donal and with longtime collaborator Randall Wallace, and took over six years to refine. Gibson has said that he believes The Resurrection will be the most difficult and ambitious challenge of his career.
“There's a lot required because it is – I'll just tell you this – it's an acid trip,” he told Rogan.
In a previous CH article about the forthcoming film and what it means, especially to Catholics, Tom Colsy writes: "With a deep commitment to theological accuracy and spiritual depth, The Resurrection of the Christ promises to be a film that not only tells the story of the Resurrection but invites reflection on its cosmic and historical significance."
He adds: "With Caviezel’s return, Gibson’s profound faith, and the lessons learned from the challenges of The Passion, the sequel is shaping up to be not just a cinematic event, but an act of devotion ... audiences can expect something much more than spectacle – something sacred."
