After the news of Jim Caviezel’s exit from The Passion of the Christ sequel broke, we all wondered who our next lord and savior would be on screen. Now, we finally have the answer, and it’s Jaakko Ohtonen, an actor known for All the Sins, The Unknown Soldier, and Vikings: Valhalla (via Variety).
Monica Bellucci’s Mary Magdalene has also been recast, and the role will now go to Cuban actress Mariela Garriga, who previously appeared in Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning.
Moreover, Mel Gibson has gone ahead and changed the entire slate of actors for The Resurrection of the Christ. So, let’s look at why he made this creative choice and how it’s the best course for the upcoming movie.
Why Recasting Was the Smart Choice for The Passion of the Christ Sequel
The Passion of the Christ was released in 2004, which is more than twenty years ago, and made $609 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo). Though it was earlier stated that Jim Caviezel would be reprising his role as Jesus Christ, the actor has now been replaced by Jaakko Ohtonen, a younger talent.
Recasting makes sense because at the time of The Passion of the Christ, Caviezel was 33, and now he’s hitting 57. Jesus resurrected on the third day, so it would be odd to see an elderly man play the role. Gibson could’ve used de-aging technology on Caviezel, but then he’d also have to use it on the entire cast.
That wouldn’t be cost-effective, so opting for a newer cast instead of scraping around to maintain visual continuity is a much better decision. However, Gibson had the chance to bring in a fresh face, who was also ethnically accurate, but it seems like he’s only gone for the first part.
The Passion of the Christ featured historically spoken languages of that era and place: Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin, but we don’t know if the original will follow suit. Also, we’ll have two movies, with The Resurrection of the Christ Part One releasing on March 15, 2027, and Part Two on May 6, 2027. These two dates respectively fall on Good Friday and Ascension Day, following Christ’s timeline.
Gibson has been filming the project in Rome’s Cinecittà Studios since last week, and will also move to other locations like the ancient southern Italian town of Matera, as well as rural parts of the region such as Altamura, Gravina, Laterza, and Ginosa.
So, what do you think about the recasting? Should Gibson have gone with someone of the same ethnicity as Christ, or are you happy with the current ensemble?
The Resurrection of the Christ Part One is set to release on March 26, 2027 and Part Two on May 6, 2027.
