Hallelujah. Mel Gibson‘s follow-up to “The Passion of the Christ,” titled “The Resurrection of the Christ,” has found a home at Lionsgate.
Gibson and producer Bruce Davey on behalf of their Icon Productions banner selected Lionsgate as its studio partner on “Resurrection,” which is filming now and reunites Gibson with the studio after he most recently directed the Mark Wahlberg thriller “Flight Risk” for the studio. Lionsgate also owns the Icon library, which includes the rights to the 2004 hit “Passion of the Christ.”
No release plans were announced for the film.
Jim Caviezel is returning to reprise his role as Jesus for the next chapter in the Biblical epic. And until last year, “The Passion of the Christ” remained the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time domestically. It opened to $83 million and made $370 million in North America, as well as $610 million globally, all off a $30 million production budget.
“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation. It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless,” Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “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.”
“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 for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ,’” added Gibson. “I’ve enjoyed working with Adam 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.”
Lauren Bixby, John Biondo, and Grace Clements oversaw the deal on behalf of the studio. Bruce Davey and Vicki Christianson of Icon, Jim Osborne of IAG, and attorney Joel VanderKloot oversaw on behalf of the filmmakers.
