Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ Sequel Will Be Split Into 2 Parts, Released 40 Days Apart in 2027

The Resurrection of the Christ will be hitting theaters in two parts.

The long-awaited sequel to Mel Gibson’s 2004 blockbuster biblical drama The Passion of the Christ will include two parts. 

The official Instagram page for the production announced on Tuesday, Aug. 5, that the first part will be released on Good Friday, which falls on Friday, March 26, 2027. The second part will hit theaters less than two months later on Ascension Day, which is on Thursday, May 6, 2027.

The Passion of the Christ sequel will cover the resurrection of Jesus, but Gibson has said that there is so much more to unpack than just the Son of God rising from the dead.

Gibson, 69, has spoken vaguely about the sequel over the years, and in 2016 told Stephen Colbert, “It’s more than [the] single event [in the title], it’s an amazing event … and to underpin that with the things around it is really the story. To sort of enlighten what that means.”

Six years later, in 2022, he talked about the challenges of figuring out the film’s time frame. “It’s a huge subject, and it’s not a linear narrative,” he told Raymond Arroyo, host of EWTN’s The World Over, in April 2022. “You have to juxtapose the central event that I’m trying to tell with everything else around it in the future, in the past, and in other realms, and that’s kind of getting a little sci-fi out there.”

Later that same year, Gibson spoke with Jenni Falconer about the project and revealed he had two scripts. “One is very structured and the other is like an acid trip because you’re going into other realms,” he shared in their October 2022 conversation,” adding, “You’re in hell. You’re watching the angels fall. It’s crazy.”

In March 2025, Variety reported that the films were set to begin production this month at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, citing comments CEO Manuela Cacciamani gave to Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

The sequel will also film in rural locations throughout Southern Italy, including Altamura, Ginosa, Gravina di Laterza and Matera.

Jim Caviezel, who starred as Jesus Christ will return alongside Monica Bellucci who starred as Mary Magdalene. Maia Morgenstern, who played Jesus’ mother in The Passion of the Christ, and Francesco De Vito, who portrayed Peter, have also signed on for the sequel, per IMDb.

“There are things that I cannot say that will shock the audience,” Caviezel told USA Today in April 2018. “It’s great. The film [Gibson is] going to be the biggest film in history. It’s that good.”

The Passion of the Christ broke records upon its release 21 years ago, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing movie of 2004 worldwide. And it is the second all-time highest-grossing R-rated film in North America behind 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine.

It received Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Makeup at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005, but did not take home any trophies.

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The Resurrection of the Christ part 1 will premiere on March 26, 2027, and part 2 will premiere on Thursday, May 6, 2027. The original film is available to stream on Netflix.