Mel Gibson’s Delayed ‘Resurrection Of The Christ’ Recasts Jesus & Mary Magdalene As Shooting Begins In Rome

Cameras have started rolling on Mel Gibson‘s “Passion of the Christ” sequel, “Resurrection of the Christ” in Rome, Italy, at Cinecittà Studios, but the big news coming out of the religious drama is that they’ve decided to recast the main roles of Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene.

The folks over at Variety report that Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen, known for his work in “The Last Kingdom,” has taken the role of Jesus, replacing original star Jim Caviezel (not the most accurate casting choice, given that Jesus wasn’t white European/Nordic, although many religious folks like the perpetuate that notion). Along with that, Cuban actress Mariela Garriga (seen the last two “Mission: Impossible” films) has joined as well, taking over the Mary Magdalene part from Monica Bellucci, who previously inhabited that part.

Others among the cast include Polish-born actor Kasia Smutniak (“Domina”), who replaces Maia Morgenstern as Mary, and Peter is played by Pier Luigi Pasino (“The Law According to Lidia Poët”). The Pontius Pilate role has been filled by Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio, known as the untrustworthy mafia baddie from “John Wick: Chapter 2” and recently worked with Johnny Depp on his biopic “Modì.” Lastly, Rupert Everett is also set for a key but undisclosed part.

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Recasting the movie was just a matter of costs, according to the outlet, as they’d have to spend a bunch of money they didn’t have to de-age actors with pricey digital effects to make them look 20 years younger, which doesn’t make a lot of sense when hiring new actors was the simple alternative to VFX.

Instead of a single release, “Resurrection of the Christ” will be split into two films coming out in 2027. As you’d imagine, the movies explore the miraculous resurrection of Jesus three days after his crucifixion by occupying Romans and is a pillar of Christian faith/belief, ala Good Friday (the first installment set for release on March 26, 2027, happens to land on Good Friday).

In the past, the Anti-Defamation League spotlighted the original R-rated movie, which earned an impressive $610 million at the global box office, as using Jewish stereotypes and tropes that could incite antisemitism among the audience. Hopefully, the director known for his own antisemitism (alongside anti-black racism, sexist, and homophobic remarks) will ease back entirely on those tropes with the new movie, as we’re expected to see plenty of Jewish characters in the new films.