Mel Gibson has completed filming the sequel to The Passion of the Christ: the two-part movie is expected to premiere in 2027

Director Mel Gibson has officially completed work on the production of two parts of the movie «Resurrection of Christ», which will be a direct sequel to his famous 2004 film. As reported by Credo.pro, this project is the most ambitious and expensive in the career of the director: the budget of each part is estimated at 100 to 125 million dollars.

Filming of the dilogy was held for seven months at the legendary Roman movie studio Cinecittà. Plot lines of new pictures are focused on the events that took place in the period between the crucifixion of the Savior and His Resurrection — one of the most mysterious moments of the New Testament. The creators of the tape chose a unique model of distribution, tied to the liturgical calendar: the release of the first part is scheduled for Good Friday 2027, and the second part will appear in theaters 40 days later, on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

An important difference between the new production and the original movie will be the language barrier. While in «The Passion of the Christ» dialog was conducted exclusively in ancient languages, «The Resurrection» will be entirely English-language, which should help reach a wider audience. The lead role of Jesus was played by Finnish actor Jaakko Otonen. The cast also includes Kasia Smutniak as the Virgin Mary, Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene and Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate. Renowned cameraman Robrecht Heywerth was responsible for the visuals.