Mel Gibson Bets Big on The Resurrection of the Christ, His Most Expensive Film Yet
Mel Gibson is going bigger than ever: The Resurrection of the Christ, the follow-up to 2004’s The Passion of the Christ, is shaping up to be his most expensive film as a director.
Mel Gibson is not going small with his Passion follow-up. His two-part The Resurrection of the Christ is shaping up to be his priciest directing gig ever, and the scope explains why.
What it is, and what it costs
This is the sequel to 2004's The Passion of the Christ, Gibson's controversial hit that followed Jesus through his arrest, trial, and crucifixion (Jim Caviezel played Jesus in that one, and Gibson directed and co-produced). The new project picks up right after those events and is split into two movies. According to Deadline, each part carries a budget around $100 million. So roughly $200 million total. Yes, that would make it the most expensive thing Gibson has directed.
Gibson has teased a vision that is 'an acid trip' and 'super ambitious.'
What they are actually making
Do not expect a straight Sunday-school retelling. The films are expected to start after the crucifixion and lead into the resurrection three days later, but there is a lot more layered on. Gibson has talked about depicting the fall of the angels and Christ descending into hell as part of a spiritual journey. People close to the production back that up: we are getting angels vs. demons, clashes of good and evil in other realms, the whole metaphysical battlefield. That kind of supernatural canvas goes a long way toward explaining the nine-figure price tags.
New faces in familiar roles
Jim Caviezel is not returning as Jesus. The role now belongs to Jaakko Ohtonen. Monica Bellucci also is not back as Mary Magdalene; Mariela Garriga is taking that part. The rest of the lineup includes Kasia Smutniak as Mary, Pier Luigi Pasino as Peter, and Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate. Rupert Everett is in there too, but his role is still under wraps.
How it stacks up to Gibson's past budgets
- The Man Without a Face (1993): about $37 million
- Braveheart (1995): around $53–72 million
- The Passion of the Christ (2004): about $30 million
- Apocalypto (2006): about $40 million
- Hacksaw Ridge (2016): about $40 million
- Flight Risk (2025): about $25 million
Release plan
The rollout is quick: Part 1 lands March 26, 2027, and Part 2 follows May 6, 2027. Two movies roughly six weeks apart is an aggressive schedule, but if you are swinging at angels and demons across multiple realms, you may as well commit.