In The Resurrection of the Christ, Jim Caviezel will no longer play Jesus. Caviezel had been slated to reprise his role from The Passion of the Christ, but director Mel Gibson elected to go with an entirely new cast.
Why did The Resurrection of the Christ replace Jim Caviezel as Jesus?
According to EW, Caviezel’s age raised a problem. At 57 years old, he does not fit the traditional age of Jesus, who is believed to have been around 33 at the time of the resurrection. To portray Jesus in The Resurrection of the Christ, Caviezel would have needed to undergo de-aging for the movie. Ultimately, Gibson recast the role instead of implementing de-aging technology.
Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen replaces Caviezel as Jesus in The Resurrection of the Christ. Ohtonen, an actor in his mid-30s, is best known for playing Wolland in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom.
Mariela Garriga replaces Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. Garriga recently appeared as Marie in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One and its sequel, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
The rest of the ensemble includes Kasia Smutniak as Mary, the mother of Jesus; Luigi Pasino as Peter, an apostle of Jesus; and Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate, the Judean leader who presided over Jesus’s trial and crucifixion. Rupert Everett will also appear in an unknown role.
Gibson returns to direct The Resurrection of the Christ from a screenplay he co-wrote with Randall Wallace. Gibson’s Icon Productions will produce the film, and Lionsgate will distribute it in theaters. Filming has begun in Rome.
Gibson’s film will depict the events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus, which occurred three days after the religious figure’s death.
The Resurrection of the Christ is the long-awaited sequel to 2004’s The Passion of the Christ, which depicted the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. Directed by Gibson, The Passion of the Christ became a box office sensation, grossing $370 million domestically and $612 million worldwide.
The Resurrection of the Christ will be split into two movies. Part One will open on March 26, 2027, with Part Two on May 6, 2027.
