How To Watch Passion Of The Christ At Home (And Whatever Happened To The Sequel?)

“The Passion of the Christ” wasn’t a shoo-in for success. Backed by controversial director Mel Gibson, the film could have easily flopped. And yet, its original release window over the spring and holiday season of 2004, along with the compelling and controversial content of the movie itself, propelled it to box office success. It raked in $371 million domestically and $612 million overall during its theatrical run and remains one of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time in the United States.

The incredible success begs the question, what about a sequel? The original film ends as Jesus leaves the tomb, and sequel rumors have swirled for years. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter claimed “Braveheart” screenwriter Randall Wallace had been tapped to write a script for the “Passion” sequel. In early 2023, nearly 20 years after the original movie was released, the project seemed more alive than ever when a further update claimed the sequel, called “The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection,” had reportedly set a filming window and was set to break ground in the near future. Jim Caviezel would return as Jesus, but no other casting was announced. It’s worth noting that, at the time of this writing, IMDb calls the film “Chapter I,” implying that the follow-up films may be split into multiple parts. Caviezel himself seems to have confirmed this in an interview in mid-2023 when he said of the sequel story, “It will be the biggest film in history. It might be two films. Could be three, but I think it’s two.” Regardless of the number, there is no release date yet. It appears audiences will have to content themselves with a rewatch of the original for the time being.