Why Mel Gibson’s New Jesus Movie Has Everyone Talking

Mel Gibson’s long-awaited sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” has finally started filming and it’s already sparking major debate.

Over 20 years after his 2004 biblical blockbuster stunned the world, Gibson is returning with “The Resurrection of the Christ.”

However, the director’s choice to replace Jim Caviezel, who famously played Jesus, has caused a mix of outrage and curiosity online.

After years of rumors and delays, Mel Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ” is officially in production at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, the same place he filmed “The Passion of the Christ” two decades ago.

The sequel picks up three days after the crucifixion, focusing on Jesus’s resurrection.

Gibson decided to completely recast the film, with Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen now portraying Christ.

Other key roles have also changed hands. Mariela Garriga, known for “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning,” now plays Mary Magdalene, while Polish-born Kasia Smutniak replaces Maia Morgenstern as Mary.

Apostle Peter will be portrayed by Italian actor Pier Luigi Pasino, and Riccardo Scamarcio, who starred in Johnny Depp’s “Modì,” steps in as Pontius Pilate.

Gibson’s longtime production company, Icon Productions, is once again behind the project, with Lionsgate handling distribution. The two-part film is set to arrive in theaters in 2027.

When news broke that Mel Gibson had replaced Caviezel with Ohtonen, fans were quick to express their anger online.

The 57-year-old has often said that the role of Jesus changed his life, and he hinted just this April that he was ready to return for the sequel.

However, Gibson’s team reportedly decided that recasting the entire film made more sense than using expensive digital effects.

“They would have had to do all this CGI stuff, all this de-aging and all that — that would have been very costly,” a source told Variety.

Still, fans were not happy. One X user wrote per the Daily Mail, “Recasting Jesus is blasphemous work.”

Another said, “Caviezel must be devastated. He’s been talking about this movie since 2012.”

Others added that Caviezel’s return would have made the sequel feel more authentic, connecting it to the original story audiences loved.

Despite the backlash, some fans supported Gibson’s decision, calling him “a great director who can deliver with any actor.”

Beyond the outcry over Caviezel’s replacement, Gibson’s casting of Ohtonen as Jesus has triggered a wider debate about representation.

Many users questioned why the new Jesus is being played by a Finnish actor rather than someone of Middle Eastern descent.

“So we’re just gonna keep pretending Jesus was a white guy?” one fan joked on social media.

Another wrote, “They gave him a white face so they don’t have to pray to someone they deem lesser.”

Others mocked the casting by calling Ohtonen a “DEI Jesus” or joking that “Jesus was Finnish confirmed.”

Still, some fans defended Gibson’s choice, noting that Caviezel himself was also not Middle Eastern and that “The Passion of the Christ” succeeded despite the same issue.

Mel Gibson has never been afraid of pushing creative limits, and he says “The Resurrection of the Christ” will be his most ambitious film yet.

During an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the 69-year-old filmmaker described the project as very ambitious and said it will explore powerful spiritual themes.

“It’s about finding the way in that’s not cheesy or too obvious,” he explained per the Daily Mail. “You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol.”

He admitted the production will be challenging, saying, “To tell you the truth, it’s super ambitious. But I’ll take a crack at it because that’s what you’ve got to do, right, walk up to the plate, right?”

Gibson wrote the screenplay alongside “Braveheart” writer Randall Wallace, calling it an “acid trip” of a story that he’s “never read anything like.”

The director plans to film across ancient southern Italian towns like Matera, Ginosa, and Altamura, aiming to recreate the biblical world as vividly as possible.

“The Passion of the Christ” became the highest-grossing independent film of all time, earning over $612 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.

It was praised for its authenticity, as it was filmed entirely in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin, but also criticized for its graphic violence.

Now, with “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the 69-year-old hopes to revisit the story that skyrocketed his directing career.

The first part of the sequel is set for release on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, followed by Part Two on Ascension Day, May 6.

Despite fan divisions over casting, Gibson is certain he has what it takes to wow fans.

“I think I have ideas about how to do that and how to evoke things and emotions in people from the way you depict it and the way you shoot it. So I've been thinking about it for a long time,” he shared during the interview with Joe Rogan.