Mel Gibson’s long-awaited The Resurrection of the Christ is moving forward after the announcement that the sequel to Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ will recast the main roles, including the role of Jesus, which was originally played by Jim Caviezel. It is a surprising and yet not totally unexpected decision, given Passion hit theaters over twenty years ago and the cost to de-age actors like Caviezel would have massively ballooned the budget. “They would have had to do all this CGI stuff, all this digital stuff — de-aging and all that — that would have been very costly. It made sense to recast the whole film,” a source told Variety. Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen has now been cast as Jesus. The new film has also been divided into two parts.

One recasting, however, has stirred up controversy. In the 2004 film, the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was played by Maia Morgenstern. The new film has cast Polish-Italian actress and activist Kasia Smutniak. Smutniak is an outspoken pro-abortion activist, speaking out against Poland’s strict abortion restrictions. Smutniak supports Poland’s Strajk Kobiet (Women’s Strike) movement, which often lobbies for more access to abortion. Smutniak is active on her social media of her support of abortion, which flies in the face of Gibson’s conservative, Catholic beliefs. “Kasia Smutniak, polish-italian actrees, was chosen to play Jesus’ Mother in Mel Gibson’s new movie Passion of the Christ. Should someone with such strong left-wing views and supporting for abortion play this role?” wrote one user on X, featuring an image of Smutniak with pro-abortion phrases scrawled on her face.

Reports state that supporters of the Law and Justice party (PiS) have contacted Gibson’s Icon Productions to protest Smutniak’s involvement. It is not the first time Gibson’s Passion series has faced controversy. Some accused the original film of antisemitism based on its portrayal of Jesus’s condemnation to death by the crowds of Jewish people. Interestingly, Monica Belluci, who played the role of Mary Magdalene in Passion had also supported abortion rights, calling an abortion ban a “moral falsehood.” Despite the backlash, Gibson’s publicist claimed he was unaware of any controversy. A spokesman for Smutniak has made no comment on the issue.

Filming for the movie began in early October. The first installment will be in theaters in time for Good Friday, March 26, 2027. The second part will be released 40 days later on May 6, 2027, known as Ascension Day to Catholics.