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Mel Gibson has finished filming on his two-part epic "The Resurrection of the Christ," the long-awaited sequel to 2004's "The Passion of the Christ."
"The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One" will be released May 6, 2027, on Ascension Day, the Christian holiday marking Jesus Christ’s ascent into heaven 40 days after Easter Sunday. "The Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two" is scheduled to debut May 25, 2028, over Memorial Day weekend.
Lionsgate and Icon Productions announced the release dates Thursday. Gibson said the story was brought to the screen "exactly as I envisioned it."
Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus in The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One. (Elise Lockwood for Lionsgate)
"I’m deeply grateful to my incredibly talented cast and crew for pouring their hearts into this production. Together, we created something powerful," Gibson said in a statement.
"This film represents a major part of my life’s work, and it has demanded everything of me as a filmmaker and as an artist. This is far more than a film to me. It’s a mission I’ve carried for over 20 years to tell what I believe is the most important story in human history," he added.
The film follows Gibson’s 2004 epic, "The Passion of the Christ," which depicted the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life leading up to the crucifixion. Its graphic violence and subject matter made it one of that year's most controversial movies.
"The Passion of the Christ" was a smash hit, grossing more than $610 million worldwide on a reported $30 million budget. It also earned Academy Award nominations for its makeup, score and cinematography.
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Jim Caviezel and director Mel Gibson are pictured in a promotional image for the 2004 film "The Passion of the Christ." (Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection)
Jim Caviezel had previously been expected to reprise his role as Jesus Christ from the 2004 movie. However, the role was later recast. Reports cited the challenges of de-aging technology, along with scheduling conflicts, as factors behind the casting change.
Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will portray Jesus in the new films, while Mariela Garriga will play Mary Magdalene, taking over the role from Monica Bellucci.
Filming for "The Resurrection of the Christ" spanned 134 days across multiple locations in Italy, according to reports.
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During a January appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Gibson said the upcoming movies would explore themes involving "the spiritual realms" and the battle for the "soul of mankind."
Mel Gibson attends the "Blood Father" photocall at the 69th Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on May 21, 2016. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
"There's good, there's evil, and they are slugging it out for the souls of mankind," he said. "And my question is, ‘Why are we even important, little old, flawed humanity? Why are we important in that process where the big realms are slugging it out over us?’"
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Gibson said he wrote the script with his brother, Donal Gibson, and screenwriter Randall Wallace over the last seven years.
"There’s a lot required because it’s an acid trip. I’ve never read anything like it," he told Rogan. "My brother and I and Randall all sort of congregated on this. So there’s some good heads put together, but there’s some crazy stuff."
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"And 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," he continued. "You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol."
Fox News' Ashley Hume contributed to this report.
