Mel Gibson is set to return to the director’s chair for The Resurrection of the Christ, the long-awaited sequel to The Passion of the Christ.

The film will begin shooting this August at Rome’s renowned Cinecittà Studios, according to Manuela Cacciamani, CEO of the studio.

“I can confirm that the next film directed by Mel Gibson, produced by Icon Productions, The Resurrection of Christ, will be shot entirely in Cinecittà starting in August and requires many theatres and stage constructions,” Cacciamani stated in an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore.

Gibson has described the project as “very ambitious” and explained that the film’s narrative extends beyond the resurrection itself, encompassing “the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle”.

Speaking on Joe Rogan’s podcast, he elaborated on the challenges of depicting such profound spiritual and supernatural themes.

“I think in order to really tell the story properly, you have to really start with the fall of the angels, which means you’re in another place, you’re in another realm. You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol,” he said.

The filmmaker acknowledged the difficulty of bringing these elements to life in a way that resonates with audiences. “It’s about finding the way in that’s not cheesy or too obvious. 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,” he explained.

Gibson admitted that the scale of the film presents a significant challenge. “It’s not going to be easy, and it’s going to require a lot of planning, and I’m not wholly sure I can pull it off; 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?”

Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, will reprise his role, but Gibson acknowledged that the passage of time presents technical hurdles. “We’ll have to use a few techniques,” he revealed, referencing the need for CGI de-ageing to account for the more than two decades since the original film’s release.

Released in 2004, The Passion of the Christ became a cultural phenomenon, earning $370 million at the domestic box office despite significant controversy. It is often credited with opening doors for faith-based media in Hollywood.

With The Resurrection of the Christ, Gibson appears determined to push cinematic boundaries once again, and Christian audiences are likely to be eager to see how he brings this ambitious vision to life.

Originally published by Christian Today