Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci Will Not Return for Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST Sequel

As Mel Gibson is prepping to direct his The Passion of the Christ sequel, we have now learned that Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci won’t be returning for the film, which is titled The Resurrection of the Christ.

According to Deadline, the sequel to Gibson’s 2004 biblical epic is now in development in Rome and actively casting replacements for the roles of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. The decision comes as the film heads toward production without two of its original stars.

Both Caviezel and Bellucci were unable to return due to scheduling conflicts and the complications that would come with digital de-aging, given that more than twenty years have passed since the original film’s release.

They are being replaced by Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen (The Last Kingdom) in the role of Jesus, and Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, who starred in the Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, will play Mary Magdalene.

Polish-born actor Kasia Smutniak (Domina) is replacing Maia Morgenstern as Mary; Peter is being played by Italy’s Pier Luigi Pasino; and the Pontius Pilate role will be played by Italy’s Riccardo Scamarcio, and Rupert Everett will appear an unspecified small but important role.

Back in April, Caviezel had expressed his interest in reprising the role of Christ , and reflected on his experience filming the original movie and the idea of returning to it years later, saying:

“Now I get these bonus years and I had no idea [during the original film]. At the time, after I was done, it was done,”

He also opened up about the fear and challenge that comes with taking on such a role again, saying:

“Am I scared? Yes. But if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to work with that actor. Of course I am, but that will never [go away] … but I was worried on the last one.”

While Caviezel won’t be stepping back into the role, The Resurrection of the Christ is still moving forward under Gibson’s direction. The filmmaker’s ambitious plan is to release the sequel in two parts through Lionsgate.

Part One will arrive on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, followed by Part Two forty days later on Ascension Day, May 6, 2027.

Story details remain tightly under wraps, but the project is expected to pick up after the events of The Passion of the Christ, exploring the aftermath of the crucifixion and the resurrection itself.

Gibson previously talked about the sequel calling it “an acid trip” He went on to say that he’d “never read anything like” the script, which Gibson’s been writing alongside Randall Wallace.

He continued offering some details: “My brother and I and Randall all sort of congregated on this. So there’s some good heads put together, but there’s some crazy stuff.

“And I think in order to really tell the story properly you have to really start with the fall of the angels, which means you’re in another place, you’re in another realm. You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol.”

Gibson described the film as “very ambitious” and said the story not only covers “the fall of the angels” but also “the death of the last apostle.”

He said: “It’s about finding the way in that’s not cheesy or too obvious. I think I have ideas about how to do that and how to evoke things and emotions in people from the way you depict it and the way you shoot it.

“So I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to require a lot of planning and I’m not wholly sure I can pull it off to tell you the truth, it’s super ambitious.

“But I’ll take a crack at it because that’s what you got to do, right, walk up to the plate, right?” 

Gibson previously talked about the movie saying that its “not a linear narrative,” adding that “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.”

Gibson’s original film was a cinematic phenomenon when it debuted in 2004. The film portrayed the final 12 hours of Christ’s life and went on to earn $370 million domestically and more than $610 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.

It became the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time in North America, a record it held for nearly two decades, and earned three Academy Award nominations for Makeup, Cinematography, and Original Score.

While the absence of Caviezel and Bellucci will undoubtedly change the dynamic of the long-awaited sequel, it will be interesting to see what Gobson does with this.