SALT LAKE CITY — The long-rumored sequel to “Passion of the Christ” is a go, according to actor Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in the original film.
Caviezel told USA Today he’s on board to shoot the sequel to “The Passion of the Christ,” which will have Mel Gibson return as director.
He said the new film will depict Jesus’ resurrection.
"There are things that I cannot say that will shock the audience," he said. "It's great. Stay tuned."
Caviezel said Gibson’s take on the resurrection will lead to a major film.
"I won’t tell you how he’s going to go about it," Caviezel said. "But I’ll tell you this much: The film he’s going to do is going to be the biggest film in history. It’s that good."
The original “Passion of the Christ” film debuted in 2004 and earned more than $611 million on a $30 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo. The story followed the final 12 hours of Christ’s life.
A poll conducted in 2004 found that Utahns who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were "more than likely ... to stay away" from the first film, according to the Deseret News. Only 1 in 3 members of the LDS Church said they planned to see the movie.
The poll found members of the LDS Church were concerned about the film’s gruesome scenes.
LDS Church members, as well as Catholic and Protestant Utahns surveyed in the poll, also said the film’s alleged anti-Semitism was a major reason to avoid the movie.