Pier Paolo Pasolini through to Mel Gibson: Matera could be known as the modern-day first-century Jerusalem rather than the ‘city of stones’. However, for the making of The Resurrection of the Christ, two-part sequel to The Passion of the Christ (2004), the American director seems to have no longer required such realism. Italy is still the country of choice for the long-awaited biblical epic, in particular Puglia and Basilicata, but after principal photography at Cinecittà Studios, Gibson chose locations that appear more in keeping with the "hallucinogenic" style of his new film.
The Resurrection of the Christ, co-written by the director with Randall Wallace (writer of Braveheart), focuses on the resurrection of Jesus and the events surrounding it. The two parts of the film - the first scheduled for release in Easter 2027 - are being shot simultaneously, with a completely new cast.
Gibson had initially considered bringing back the familiar names from the first film, with Jim Caviezel as Jesus, Italians Monica Bellucci and Francesco De Vito as Mary Magdalene and Saint Peter. The time issue—three days in the narrative, but more than twenty years between filming—would have been circumvented with a CGI de-aging technique in the style of The Irishman (2019) and Here (2024).
However, in October 2025, when The Resurrection of the Christ was already in pre-production, a radical change in the cast was announced, likely due to the excessive costs of special effects. Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen replaced Caviezel as Jesus, Mariela Garriga replaced Bellucci as Mary Magdalene, Kasia Smutniak as Mary, mother of Jesus, Pier Luigi Pasino as Peter, and Riccardo Scamarcio as Pontius Pilate. Eduardo Scarpetta is expected to appear as Paul, with Rupert Everett and Lorenzo Richelmy likely as Abraham and King David, respectively, two characters that hint at the visionary direction the new films may take.
In January 2025, during an interview on Joe Rogan's podcast (reported by Variety and The Guardian), Gibson described the film as “an acid trip.” "I think in order to 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. You need to go to hell," the director said.
In light of this description, it seems that the decision to cancel the filming scheduled in historic Matera, at the Murgia Materana Regional Park, may be due in part to the less realistic style adopted for The Resurrection of the Christ compared to the first installment of the trilogy.
After the official announcement, the visual focus of the film was moved to Puglia, to Gravina in Salento, near the Ponte dell'Acquedotto and the Madonna della Stella plateau. Some locations remained in the province of Matera, in Craco and Pisticci, but the city, symbol of the first film and its illustrious predecessor, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), is no longer the main location, except for a second unit segment that filmed on February 18th and 19th in the Murgia area.
According to Gibson, The Resurrection of the Christ is a non-linear, less predictable film. Given the theme of Jesus' descent into hell, this suggests a story that distances itself from the historical realism of the Passion, moving towards a more symbolic and theological approach. This could be why the immediately recognizable city of Matera is no longer fitting with the more metaphysical approach of the two new films.