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Mel Gibson is in Italy preparing to shoot his “The Passion of the Christ” sequel that, just like the original, will make use of the ancient southern Italian town of Matera where he has been welcomed by the country’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli.

As previously announced, Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ,” which is being produced by Gibson, Bruce Davey, and their Icon Productions banner with Lionsgate as the studio partner, is set to kick off production in August at Italy’s Cinecittà studios that will serve as the main hub for Gibson’s follow-up to his 2004 biblical blockbuster.

Giuli, a member of Italy’s right-wing government, on Thursday told Italian reporters that he met with Gibson, who is one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, for “a nice souvenir photo with a handshake,” plus an exchange of pleasantries, “in an effort to...

Mel Gibson explains why it took so long to make a sequel to The Passion of the Christ. Released in 2004, Gibson's epic biblical drama, based on the New Testament, tells the story of Christ's crucifixion, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Monica Bellucci as Magdalen, and Maia Morgenstern as Mary, among others. Recently, it was announced that the filmmaker has teamed up with Lionsgate on a long-awaited sequel, with filming expected to start in the summer.

In a panel with ScreenRant's Joe Deckelmeier at Fan Expo Philadelphia, Gibson shared the reason behind the wait for a sequel, The Resurrection of Christ. The filmmaker revealed that the script alone took him "eight years" to write because of the complexity of the subject and it being "almost impossible" to understand. He also teased that the result was two movies instead of one. Read his comment below:

It took me about eight...

The Passion Of The Christ Box Office Revisit( Photo Credit – Facebook )

The epic biblical drama, The Passion of the Christ, by Mel Gibson, is one of the most discussed and divisive religious films ever made. Gibson recently announced its sequel, which, over decades later, has been tentatively titled The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection. As sequel preps gear up, let’s revisit the box office triumph of this R-rated biblical drama. Keep scrolling for the deets.

The movie features Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. The drama depicts the Passion of Jesus mostly according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It received mixed reviews on the aggregate site – the critics gave it a below-average 49%; while summing up their reviews, the critics’ consensus stated, “Director Mel Gibson’s zeal is unmistakable, but it will leave...

Jim Caviezel is returning to the role that defined his career — and according to him, it’s not just acting, it’s more like spiritual warfare. More than 20 years after The Passion of the Christ stunned audiences and became one of the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time, Mel Gibson is back behind the camera for a sequel. Titled The Resurrection of the Christ, production is officially set to begin this August in Rome, with a tentative release date sometime in 2026. And yes, Caviezel will once again portray Jesus — thanks to a little help from modern technology, which might be the industry's equivalent of praying for a miracle and receiving one

“You want me to be Jesus again, don’t you?” Caviezel recalled asking Gibson. “I’m all in.”

Now 56, Caviezel will be digitally de-aged to portray Christ at 33, using the same kind of tech pioneered in films like The Irishman,...

Mel Gibson's Jesus movie, The Passion of the Christ, has been drowning in controversy since the project was announced. Aside from a stunning box office run and multiple award nods, the movie has just become a hit on Netflix 21 years later.

With a sequel on the way over two decades later, The Passion of the Christ's success on streaming was not coincidental. Movies following the life of Jesus Christ were a big hit over the Easter weekend, as expected. Per Tudum, The Passion of the Christ was one of the big hits of the week.

The Mel Gibson-directed film just debuted on Netflix and, for the week between Apr. 16 and 22, it reached the second place spot in the global non-English charts. The movie received 8.5 million views and 17.1 million hours viewed. Although it didn't manage to top the charts, its run 21 years later is still highly impressive.

The Passion...

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ has returned to the spotlight after trending on Netflix post-Easter, but not for the reasons many expected. While the film continues to draw interest for its raw portrayal of Jesus Christ’s final hours, viewers have raised concerns over a missing Bible verse in the version currently streaming. For a film so closely tied to Scripture, the omission has sparked backlash among Christian audiences, who feel a key part of the message has been quietly removed.

A Post-Easter Resurgence: ‘The Passion of the Christ’ Climbs Netflix Charts

Following the Easter weekend, The Passion of the Christ — Mel Gibson’s controversial yet globally lauded depiction of Jesus Christ’s final hours — surged into Netflix’s trending section in several regions. The film, originally released in 2004, is known for its visceral realism, Aramaic and Latin dialogue, and most importantly, its rootedness in the biblical Gospel narrative.

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ stands as one of the most iconic religion-based films of all time. Much like most films of its kind, the film faced some controversy around its release. However, it was also immensely critically acclaimed outside of the religious overtones.

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of Christ | Credit: Newmarket Films

The project ended up becoming one of Gibson’s most iconic works to date, earning several accolades and even three Academy Award nominations. The project details the journey of Jesus Christ after he was betrayed and crucified. However, for years, the director has been looking to make a sequel, wanting to continue the tale he was trying to tell.

Thankfully for the director, he seems to have finally gotten the opportunity to do so, more than twenty years after the release of the 2004 film.

Mel Gibson is bringing Jesus Christ back to the...

The rumor mill has been turning at full force for several years regarding a long-awaited follow-up to Mel Gibson's 2004 smash-hit The Passion of the Christ, with the biggest update yet officially announced today. As revealed via Variety, the exciting sequel, titled The Resurrection of the Christ, has officially penciled in its production start date, with Rome’s Cinecittà Studios ready to host the project in August of this year, according to CEO Manuela Cacciamani.

The film is set to be based in the aforementioned Cinecittà's new Studio 22 facility, with production set to take place in the ancient southern Italian town of Matera. Other rumored locations for production include Ginosa, Gravina Laterza, and Altamura, with the true authentic feel for such an epic sequel clearly on the minds of Gibson and co. While chatting with Joe Rogan on his podcast in early 2025, Gibson gave a bold update about the type of film to expect,...

Oscar-winning filmmaker and Lethal Weapon star Mel Gibson will resurrect Christ this summer. The controversial actor and director, who has slowly wormed his way back into the upper echelons of Hollywood over the last few years, will reportedly make his long-gestating The Passion of the Christ sequel, The Resurrection of the Christ, later this year, with the biblical epic follow-up to “start shooting in August at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios,” CEO Manuela Cacciamani has revealed.

As per a report by Variety, producer and CEO of Cinecittà Studios Manuela Cacciamani revealed that The Resurrection of the Christ has now “set an August start-of-shoot date” for the sequel, which will be helmed by Mel Gibson under Icon Productions.

The outlet also cites several sources of their own, who have revealed that The Passion of the Christ 2 “will have a summer 2025 production start,” with “Cinecittà’s sprawling new Studio 22 facility will serve...

“The Passion of the Christ” will resurrect this summer.

Mel Gibson’s long-awaited sequel, titled “The Resurrection of the Christ,” will start shooting in August at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, CEO Manuela Cacciamani has announced.

Cacciamani, in an interview with Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore, said Gibson and Icon Productions have set an August start-of-shoot date for the follow-up to his 2004 biblical blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ,” which became the largest-grossing independent film of all time.

Several sources have confirmed to Variety that “The Resurrection” will have a summer 2025 production start. Cinecittà’s sprawling new Studio 22 facility will serve as the film’s main hub. Similarly to “The Passion,” that was also based at Cinecittà, “Resurrection” will shoot in the ancient southern Italian town of Matera. Gibson is also expected to shoot the sequel in other ancient Southern Italian rural locations, including Ginosa, Gravina Laterza and Altamura.

Jim Caviezel...

The Passion of the Christ was a major success at the box office in 2004. For years, Mel Gibson, who produced and directed the film, has been teasing a sequel, and now it has received an exciting update.

The project has been in development for years and, during an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, Gibson revealed a tentative production start for the film (via Variety). Discussions about a sequel started in 2016 when he and writer Randall Wallace revealed they were working on a script following the resurrection of Jesus. Gibson has also described it again as an "acid trip," a term he has previously used to describe the sequel in 2023.

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Mark Wahlberg is unhinged in the new trailer for his airplane thriller from Mel Gibson.

Speaking about the production start for The Passions of the Christ sequel,...

Moana 2 Box Office (North America): 5th Thursday Update (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Moana 2 is still on roll as it surpasses The Passion of the Christ and Spider-Man 3 at the US box office. The Disney sequel has experienced a significant jump from last week, following the Christmas on Thursday. Although it has lost hundreds of theatres, it maintains its strong legs. Scroll below for the deets.

The Passion of the Christ was released in 2004, and it was directed by Mel Gibson. The movie featured Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as Mary, and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It achieved several accolades and new records at the box office, including being the highest-grossing R-rate film in the US. However, Deadpool & Wolverine broke that record this year. The movie collected $370.78 million in the US and $241.27 million overseas. Therefore, the film’s global total is $612.06 million.

According to...

Mel Gibson, the actor-turned-director behind the controversial biblical film The Passion of the Christ, is still working on a sequel to the film that depicts Jesus' last moments. And while many would question the necessity of making a continuation, Gibson is sure about it, and his most recent comments are proof that he has a plan for addressing a major issue with the film: the fact that more than 20 years have passed since he made the first one.

On other occasions, that wouldn't be an issue. The problem is that The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection (the sequel's unofficial title) will portray the events that take place a few days after Jesus perished by crucifixion. So, how will Gibson deal with the fact that actors physically changed, some have died, and some aren't even confirmed to participate in the project? As reported by ComicBook, he has "found ways to deal with that.

The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection looks to be finally moving forward. After years of development, Mel Gibson was spotted location scouting in Europe earlier this week for the hotly-anticipated sequel to his 2004 biblical blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, suggesting that the project may be close to entering production.

Puglia Film Commission director Antonio Parente shared that Mel Gibson toured Malta with a production team and subsequently arrived in the Southern Italian region of Puglia where he visited various rural locations, including the ancient towns of Ginosa, Gravina Laterza, and Altamura. However, Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, was quick to fan the flames regarding a filming start date for Resurrection, telling Variety, "All we can confirm is they were scouting locations recently ... not a lot to discuss at this early stage."

Related Moon Knight's Oscar Isaac to Play Jesus Christ in New Movie

Star Wars and MCU actor...

Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ 2 has received a major update. The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 epic period drama directed by Mel Gibson, following the final hours in the life of Jesus Christ, prior to his crucifixion. The film starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus, with a supporting cast that included Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Christo Jivkov, Francesco De Vito, Mattia Sbragia, Luca Lionello, and Hristo Shopov. The film was nominated for three Oscars, for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Makeup.

As per Variety, an update is provided about The Passion of the Christ 2. Check out the full quote below:

All we can confirm is they were scouting locations recently. Not a lot to discuss at this early stage.

More to come...

Source: Variety...

After years of development, it appears Oscar-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson is nearing the start of production for The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, the sequel to his record-breaking 2004 film about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest), has confirmed he is reprising his role as Jesus in the film, which may begin filming as early as next year.

Italian news agency Italpress reported that Gibson is in Malta with a production team, scouting locations for the sequel. It's part of a five-day trip that will see the Lethal Weapon star meeting with government authorities about filming in the Mediterranean island country. Filming is likely to begin in early 2025, right after Gibson finishes his press tour for his action thriller Flight Risk, which opens in January.

The film has been undergoing script revisions for years, as Gibson and co-writer Randall Wallace have reportedly written at least six drafts.

Mel Gibson's past controversial behavior in the early 2000s divided audiences when it came to the Hollywood star. Jim Caviezal's role as Christ in Gibson's upcoming film adds to the potential controversy surrounding the project. Despite Gibson's commitment to sobriety, his questionable choices in film and associations may harm his reputation further.

Please, Mel Gibson... don't do this again. It's already taken us a while to forgive you for the drunken, virulently anti-semitic comments during a traffic stop in Malibu in 2006, not to mention the threatening and highly racist and misogynist voicemails he left for his ex, Oksana Grigorieva in 2010 also while very drunk. Should we mention his odd lineage of films that seem to always make him a victim of torture? Then there's the original take on the life of Jesus Christ, The Passion of the Christ, which couldn't help but implicate Jewish religious leaders in the death of the Christian Messiah.

Mel Gibson goes back behind the camera for Flight Risk, with Mark Wahlberg starring. Here’s the first trailer.

Few could accuse Mel Gibson of playing it safe when it comes to picking his directorial projects, from his debut Man Without A Face to the Oscar-winning Braveheart and the terrific Apocalypto to his last feature to date, war drama Hacksaw Ridge.

Mel Gibson moves closer to blockbuster territory with plane based thriller Flight Risk. The synopsis reads as follows:

“Ya’ll need a pilot?” In this high-stakes suspense thriller, Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg plays a pilot transporting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to a trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem.

Gibson directs from a screenplay by Jared Rosenberg. There’s a lot of love for the Nicolas Cage classic Con Air,...

R-rated movies can, at times, be a gamble for studios to produce. Since they aren't friendly to younger audiences, they alienate a large percentage of the population, especially since parents can't go with their children to see these movies. Often, they don't perform as well as the studios hope, leading them to put out fewer of them yearly.

However, at times, an R-rated movie hits it out of the park and performs infinitely better than anyone expected it to. Typically, these are sequels or later entries to an existing franchise, like a comic book film that dares to push the limits of the genre's established conventions. These are the ten highest-performing films within the rating category.

The Hangover Part II Outperformed Its Predecessor

Related Best Comedy Movies To Watch On Prime Video From hilarious genre parodies like Violent Night to inspiring films like Brittany Runs a Marathon, Amazon Prime Video...

Mel Gibson has 6 upcoming movies, ranging in story and genre. Gibson is returning to previous projects such as The Passion of the Christ and Lethal Weapon. The actor and director will also be taking part in completely new projects like Boys of Summer and Flight Risk.

Iconic actor and director Mel Gibson is certainly not slowing down when it comes to new projects. As of now, the 68-year-old actor has six movies on the docket for the coming years, and each one is sure to be a delight. Among these projects, Gibson is working as both a director and an actor. Furthermore, some of these upcoming Mel Gibson movies hark back to projects done earlier in Gibson's career. In this way, Mel Gibson fans can expect both nostalgic favorites and fresh and exciting releases.

Notably, most of Mel Gibson's upcoming projects have no release dates at this time, though they...

“That’s life” is often heard throughout Lucian Pintilie’s adaptation of Ion Băieșu’s novel The Oak. It’s such a sweeping response to the grotesqueries that mark everyday life amid the death throes of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship, during which the film is set, that it practically becomes a shibboleth. The words may seem little more than a verbal shrug, but in the mouths of Pintilie’s characters, full to bursting with lust for life, they express a liberatory side of absurdism that goes beyond mere politics. That the meaning and the mechanisms of their lives are unknowable is as much cause for jubilation as despair.

Fittingly, The Oak opens with a death—that of Truica (Virgil Andriescu), former colonel in the Securitate (Romania’s secret police agency during its communist regime) and father to Nela (Maia Morgenstern), the film’s protagonist. As his caretaker, Nela projects for him...

Whether you are religious or not, there is no denying that Jesus Christ is one of the most influential and important figures in human history. His life and teachings have inspired billions of people worldwide, and have been the subject of many movies over the years. The crucifixion is undeniably the most significant event in the short but meaningful life of Jesus.

In this blog post, we will take a look at 10 of the best movies about Jesus Christ. We’ve ranked these Biblical epics based on an aggregate of viewers’ ratings.

10/10

Risen (2016)

Director: Kevin Reynolds

Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth

IMDb User Rating 6.3/10 29K Rt Audience Score 70 10K Meta User Score 6.9 Votes 85

“Risen” is a 2016 historical drama about the aftermath of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. With a budget of 20 million, “Risen” is a 2016 American epic biblical drama film directed by Kevin Reynolds.

The story follows Clavius (Joseph Fiennes), a high-ranking Roman soldier,...

Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s “Utama,” which won the grand jury prize in the World Cinema Dramatic competition at Sundance this year, took home top honors at the closing ceremony of the Transilvania Film Festival on Saturday night.

Grisi’s feature debut tells the story of an elderly couple in the Bolivian highlands who refuse to relocate to the city despite the constant threat of drought. In a glowing review, Variety’s Peter Debruge described the film as a “sublime, quietly elegiac” character study that “looks quite unlike anything else.”

“By relying on the simplicity, purity and poetry of his cinematic approach, the director takes the audience on a universal journey, talking about the essence of life, death and everything in between,” said the Transilvania jury, praising a film that “gives the audience a deep, multilayered feeling of how fragile our future is.” “Utama” was also feted with the festival’s Audience Award.

Indican Pictures has released an official US trailer for an indie, light-hearted comedy titled The Bra, from German filmmaker Veit Helmer. The film is already out to watch now, but we're just catching up with it at this point. Set in the country of Azerbaijan (nestled between Iran and Georgia) the film tells the story of an aging train driver named Nurlan. To escape from his lonely existence, he embarks on the most adventurous journey of his life: to find the owner of a perky piece of blue underwear that his train snagged off a washing line. He rents a small room in Baku and begins his quest. Starring Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic as Nurlan, with Paz Vega, Denis Levant, Chulpan Khamatova, Maia Morgenstern, and Frankie Wallac. This has the look and feel of an old classic B&w film, something from a time long ago, a comedic quest for love.

Exclusive: Academy Award-winning actor, director, producer and screenwriter Mel Gibson has signed with APA.

Gibson had been at CAA, but left after the exit of his primary agents Jack Whigham and Michael Cooper. They went to Range Media Partners. Gibson moved to APA to join president Jim Osborne, who started his career as one of iconic ICM agent Ed Limato’s protege assistants. Limato was Gibson’s agent forever. Gibson went with Limato to WME but parted company with the agency after Limato died, in the wake of controversial comments the actor/director made at a troubled period in his life. He spent several years regaining his footing when he was managed by former CAA honcho Rick Nicita. When Nicita retired, Gibson went to CAA.

Gibson has been busy. He currently stars in three upcoming feature films: the Tim Kirkby-directed action/thriller Last Looks opposite Morena Baccarin and Charlie Hunnam...

The Bible, according to Milo Rau, “is a book about a guy losing his fight against state power,” but who ultimately prevails by establishing a movement. It is that struggle that he depicts in his new film, “The New Gospel.”

The documentary project is a kind of political Passion Play in which Cameroonian activist Yvan Sagnet portrays a Jesus who leads a revolt for the rights of migrants that were forced to flee their homelands and cross the Mediterranean only to be “enslaved” on the agricultural fields of southern Italy.

The film, which premieres in Venice Days, is part of Rau’s “Trilogy of Ancient Myths” that began with “Orestes in Mosul” and concludes next year with “Antigone in the Amazon.”

Thematically, “The New Gospel” also follows his 2018 work “The Congo Tribunal,” which examines the causes of the Congolese Civil War, a conflict he describes as the “biggest and bloodiest economic war in human history.

Pintilie was known for films including ‘Reconstruction’ and ‘Next Stop Paradise’.

Lucian Pintilie, the Romanian director of film, television, theatre and opera, has died on May 16 in Bucharest at the age of 84, according to local news reports.

Known for films including 1968 drama Reconstruction, Pintilie had a long career in filmmaking, directing his first film Sunday At Six in 1966 and continuing to work throughout his life – he was most recently a co-producer on fellow Romanian Cristi Puiu’s 2016 Palme d’Or nominated Sieranevada.

A graduate of the I.L. Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, Pintilie twice appeared in Competition at Cannes,...

Exclusive: Darker Than Midnight producer to shoot feature in October.

Rising Italian actress Angela Fontana, co-star of Venice 2016 hit Indivisible (Indivisibili), is to play the lead role in Italian featureLucania, a magical realist drama about a young mute girl caught in the middle of a clash between her farmer father and those who want to poison his fields.

Fontana will star alongside Maia Morgenstern (The Passion Of The Christ), Pippo Delbono (I Am Love), Christo Jivkov (The Passion Of The Christ) and actor-producer Joe Capalbo (At A Glance), who will play the role of the father.

Babylon Sisters filmmaker Gigi Roccati will direct the €1m-budgeted feature, which is due to shoot in southern Italy from October.

The Italian and Romanian-language project is produced by Federico Saraceni and Pilar Saavedra’s Moliwood Films together with Capalbo’s Fabrique Entertainment (Nightlife) in collaboration with Rai Cinema, which has taken TV rights.

The film has production support from Italy’s culture...