Passion of Christ sequel readies

A follow-up to actor, director, producer Mel Gibson’s multi-million-pound film The Passion of Christ will begin production this spring, according to a new report.

Veteran film journalist Jordan Ruimy shared Wednesday that Gibson will begin filming The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection in the next few months.

“Gibson has been hard at work on the screenplay with Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace. There have already been six drafts. ‘Resurrection’ would focus on the twenty-four hours encompassing Jesus’ passion and the events that occurred three days between his crucifixion and resurrection,” Ruimy explained.

The film, about the three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection, had always been in the American actor and director’s plan but is due to start filming this year.

Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in the 2004 film, is apparently set to return to play the lead.

Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace was commissioned for the job by Gibson some years ago.

The Passion of Christ was known as the highest-grossing Christian film and independent film of all time. It received three Academy Award nominations and reportedly made $612 million (£502 million) on a $30 million (£24 million) budget.

The highly-anticipated sequel has been in the development stages for the last 10 years. In 2016, Gibson told Greg Laurie at a Harvest Crusade that he wanted to take his time in developing the story.

Gibson said he would take his time to “explore probably deeper meanings” of what the events reported in the New Testament are about.

(Picture Courtesy: New Market Films, via Reuters)