Mel Gibson’s sequel to The Passion of the Christ is set to begin production in Italy this August, more than 20 years after the release of the highest grossing independent movie in history.
The Passion took in around one billion Australian dollars at the box office with its net profit estimated at around A$600,000.
News of the production start date for the sequel with the working title The Resurrection of the Christ came from Manuela Cacciamani, CEO of Rome’s Cinecittà Studios where much of The Passion was filmed.
She said it will require many theatres and stage constructions.
Filming will also take place in the ancient southern Italian town of Matera as well as nearby rural locations including Ginosa, Gravina Laterza and Altamura.
MEL GIBSON EXPLAINS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT
In an interview with US podcaster Joe Rogan who is followed by millions of listeners, Mel Gibson admitted the project is “very ambitious” as the storyline follows “the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle.”
“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,” the director explained.
“You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol,” he added.
Sheol in the Hebrew Bible is the underworld place of stillness and darkness after death.
“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.”
“So I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” said Gibson, who was raised a traditionalist Catholic.
“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?”
‘RESURRECTION’ MOVIE HAS BEEN AT LEAST 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Mel Gibson has been working on the script for ten years with his brother Donald and screenwriter Randall Wallace.
“It will not follow a linear narrative and has much more to unpack than just the Son of God rising from the dead,” he elucidated.
The director plans to recast Jim Caviezel in the role of Jesus while using techniques as CGI de-aging, considering the actor has aged more than 20 years while the story has only advanced three days.
Caviezel has speculated that the film would be split into two or three parts.
“It will be the biggest film in history. It might be two films. Could be three, but I think it’s two,” he said last year.
