He is risen!Mel Gibson’s follow-up toThe Passion of the Christis now officially calledThe Resurrection of the Christ, and news broke today that the film has found a home at Lionsgate. Released in 2004,The Passion of the Christbecame one of the most successful independent productions of all-time, earning $612 million at the box office against a budget of $30 million. Starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christ, the actorwill reprise his role of the Son of God in the upcoming film.
Lionsgate announced the news today that it will be teaming with Gibson’s Icon Productions partner Bruce Davey to distribute the movie worldwide when it’s complete. Principal photography is slated to begin in August onThe Resurrection of the Christ, so it’s still a long way from hitting theaters, but in a statement released by Gibson, he says he said he can think of no better company to be working with: “Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor forThe Resurrection of the Christ,” he said, adding:
“I’ve enjoyed working with Adam [Fogelson] and the team several times over recent years. I know the clever ingenuity, passion, and ambition the entire team commits to their projects and I’m confident they will bring everything they can to the release of this movie.”
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Taking on the colossal role of Jesus Christ on the silver screen can be a daunting and massive undertaking for even the most brilliant of actors.
The Resurrection of the Christcontinues the long partnership between Gibson and Lionsgate, as the company has been behind him for his two most recent directorial efforts:Hacksaw Ridge, and the newly-released Mark Wahlberg thriller,Flight. “For many, many people across the globe,The Resurrection of the Christis the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation,” added Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson, continuing:
“It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless. Mel is one of the greatest directors of our time, and this project is both deeply personal to him and the perfect showcase for his talents as a filmmaker. My relationship with Mel and Bruce dates back 30 years, and I am thrilled to be partnering with them once again on this landmark event for audiences.”
Mel Gibson Will Use “A Few Techniques” to Make Jim Caviezel Appear Younger
Described as an “acid trip” by Gibson himself, Caviezel’s return as Jesus inThe Resurrection of Christhas sparked some debate, as the actor is obviously older than when he first appeared in the 2004 film. Seeing how Christ’s resurrection took place three days after his death, how are they going to be able to reconcile having a 56-year-old play The Lamb of God? The answer is easy: De-aging technology.
Appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast earlier this year, Gibson informed the host that he would be applying “a few techniques” to make Caviezel appear younger, including CGI and different de-aging effects that have become available in the 20 years sinceThe Passion of the Christwas released. In terms of what the new film will cover, Gibson remarked that it will span “the fall of the angels to the death of the last apostle.”
Needless to say,The Resurrection of Christsounds like it’s going to be just as ambitious an outing as the first film was,and perhaps even more controversial. We’ll have to see how it all shakes out as things progress, but in the meantime, you can catchThe Passion of the Christstreaming now on Netflix.
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
The Passion of the Christ
