First Look At Mel Gibson’s Long-Awaited Biblical Jesus Sequel Revealed

More than 20 years after Hollywood elites mocked “The Passion of the Christ,” Mel Gibson is officially returning to the story that the entertainment industry never quite understood — and the first glimpse of the sequel already has Christians and conservative audiences fired up.

Gibson unveiled the first look at “The Resurrection of the Christ” as production officially wrapped in Italy after more than four months of filming across Rome, Matera, Bari, and several other historic locations.

And based on everything we know so far, this thing sounds absolutely enormous.

The project has now expanded into a two-part biblical epic, with “Part One” scheduled for release on May 6, 2027, and “Part Two” arriving the following year on May 25, 2028. Both films are set to debut on Ascension Day, the Christian holiday commemorating Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven.

The newly released image shows Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen stepping into the role of Jesus, replacing original “Passion” star Jim Caviezel. Actress Mariela Garriga will portray Mary Magdalene, taking over the role previously played by Monica Bellucci.

First look at Mel Gibson’s Resurrection of the Christ: Part One, set to be released in May 2027.

“This is far more than a film to me. It’s a mission I’ve carried for over twenty years to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history.” – Mel Gibson pic.twitter.com/8TIt7lI5ix

— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) May 22, 2026

Gibson described the film as something far bigger than a normal Hollywood production in an official statement.

“This film represents a major part of my life’s work,” Gibson said. “It’s far more than a film to me.”

And if Gibson’s earlier comments are any indication, audiences are not getting another sanitized, watered-down biblical adaptation designed to keep modern studio executives comfortable.

Last year during an interview with Joe Rogan, Gibson described the scripts as “an acid trip” unlike anything he had ever read.

Apparently, the story stretches far beyond the resurrection itself and dives into spiritual warfare, the fall of angels, hell, and massive cosmic battles between good and evil.

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

In other words, Gibson appears to be making the kind of unapologetically massive Christian epic Hollywood almost never touches anymore.

And honestly, that’s probably part of why audiences are already paying attention.

Back in 2004, much of Hollywood and the Left media openly sneered at “The Passion of the Christ” before release.

Then the movie exploded, earning more than $600 million globally and becoming one of the most successful independent films ever made.

For many Christians and conservatives, the movie also became something bigger: proof that audiences were starving for stories Hollywood elites kept insisting nobody wanted.

Now Gibson is returning with an even bigger vision involving heaven, hell, resurrection, angels, and spiritual warfare — and early reactions online suggest millions of Americans are more than ready for it.