Resurrection of the Christ Unveils New Jesus and Mary, Replacing Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci

Mel Gibson’s Resurrection of the Christ has found its leads: Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus and Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene, succeeding Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci in the sequel to 2004’s The Passion of the Christ.
Mel Gibson finally pulled the trigger on the big question hanging over his Passion sequel: who is actually playing Jesus and Mary Magdalene this time? The answer is not the pair you might have expected.
New faces for Jesus and Mary Magdalene
Per Variety, Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen is stepping in as Jesus Christ, and Mariela Garriga will play Mary Magdalene in Gibson's The Resurrection of the Christ. This lands just days after reports that original Passion leads Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci will not be returning.
Ohtonen is a bit of a deep cut for most filmgoers: he played Wolland on the British historical drama The Last Kingdom and popped up in Vikings: Valhalla and the Finnish series All the Sins. Garriga should ring a few more bells thanks to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One and its follow-up, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. She also starred in the Blumhouse thriller Bloodline (as Lauren Cole) and the drama series When No One Sees Us (as Magaly Castillo).
Yes, cameras are rolling
Production quietly started in Rome last week with the new ensemble. Alongside Ohtonen and Garriga, here is how the cast is shaping up so far:
- Kasia Smutniak as Mary, mother of Jesus
- Luigi Pasino as Peter, one of the apostles
- Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate
- Rupert Everett in an
'unspecified small but important role.'
Behind the camera
Gibson is back in the director's chair and co-wrote the script with Randall Wallace. He is producing alongside Bruce Davey, with Lionsgate backing the production.
Release plan is... ambitious
The Resurrection of the Christ is being split into two movies with a release strategy that leans hard into the calendar:
Part One is slated for March 26, 2027, which is Good Friday. Part Two arrives 40 days later on May 6, 2027, which is Ascension Day. That gap is not random; it mirrors the biblical timeline between the Resurrection and the Ascension.
Why this matters
The Passion of the Christ (2004) was wildly divisive and wildly successful, pulling in $612 million worldwide and still holding the title of highest-grossing independent film ever. Recasting both Jesus and Mary is a big swing, and pairing that with a two-part rollout tied to major Christian holy days suggests Gibson and Lionsgate are going for the same bold, conversation-starting playbook. Mark your 2027 calendars accordingly.