ROME (OSV News) — Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller said he spent an entire day on the film set of Mel Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One,” discussing the theology of the Resurrection with the Catholic filmmaker.
The film, a sequel to Gibson’s 2004 blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ,” is scheduled for release May 6, 2027, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.
“We spoke for some hours. We spent together the whole day,” Cardinal Müller said in an interview with OSV News in Rome, adding that the conversation covered the theological and biblical meaning of the Resurrection as well as “the situation of Christianity, Christian faith in the world of today.”
Cardinal Müller, 78, led the Vatican’s doctrine office, then called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, from 2012 to 2017 under Popes Benedict XVI and Francis. He was among the cardinal electors in the 2025 conclave that chose Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal hard to miss on a movie set
At over 6 feet tall, the German cardinal was hard to miss on a movie set. But he said his presence there was less unusual than it might appear, given the Catholic Church’s teaching that bishops and cardinals are successors to the apostles depicted in the film.
“The film is not only about a historical event 2,000 years ago, but about the present Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, present as head of the Church for all the believers,” he said.
Cardinal Müller was joined on set by other religious leaders, including U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham and Pastor Samuel Rodriguez. Cardinal Burke called the project’s predecessor, “The Passion of the Christ,” “truly monumental, a story which touched profoundly the hearts of many.”
Cardinal Müller said he hopes the new film will help introduce audiences to the central mystery of the Christian faith at a time when movies and other mass media are shaping minds.
‘Modern means’ helps tell story of ‘greatest event’ in history
“Because we are living in the time of mass communication, of internet and of the films and theater and so on,” he said, “this modern means can be a help for an approach of everybody to this greatest event of the history.”
Ahead of the sequel’s release, “The Passion of the Christ” is playing in theaters Sept. 10–17 in a 4K remaster with Dolby Atmos sound. Screenings include a first look at the new film, including behind-the-scenes footage.
The original film, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus and shot largely in Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin, depicted the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life, from his trial through the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It earned three Academy Award nominations and grossed more than $612 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film in U.S. box office history for two decades.
Reflecting on that legacy, Cardinal Müller said the film’s power lies as “a great help for the imagination” and in its personal appeal to viewers. “What does it mean that Jesus suffered so much, and the cross, flagellation and all these circumstances — so much for you, for you personally,” he said. “He died for me.”
Finnish actor portrays Jesus in Gibson’s new film
Unlike its predecessor, “The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One” will be in English. It stars Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus and Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene. Gibson has previously described the film as an “acid trip” in an interview with Joe Rogan because Jesus descends into “another realm” after his death.
The movie was filmed over 134 days across more than seven months in Rome, Bari, Ginosa, Craco, Brindisi and Matera, Italy. It is the second installment of a planned trilogy; “The Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two” is set for release May 25, 2028.
Cardinal Müller said the Resurrection offers hope for everyone. “The Resurrection is the culmination of the Christian faith. It’s not only another philosophy or vision of the world, but is a real event. The author of this real event is God the Father who awoke Jesus, his son, who was crucified from the dead. And this is the Resurrection, and this is a hope for everybody.”
“Death is not the last word about us,” the cardinal said.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
