'Passion of the Christ' sequel will be 'biggest film in world history' - Jim Caviezel

Actor Jim Caviezel is promising big things with the next installment of The Passion of the Christ.

The star of the original 2004 movie, in which he played Jesus, told Breitbart News he's received the third draft for the sequel from director Mel Gibson. 

The sequel, called The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, doesn't have a release date yet but Caviezel expects it to be a hit when it does finally land in theaters. 

"Mel Gibson just sent me the third picture, the third draft. It's coming," he told Breitbart. 

"It's going to be the biggest film in world history," he added. 

Gibson first confirmed he was planning a sequel back in 2016 when he appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 

During the interview, he told Colbert that it would take a long time to release because the resurrection is "a big subject". 

He teased that the movie might not be what people expect. 

"It's not just some chronological telling of just that event. That could be boring, and you think, 'Oh, we read that,'" Gibson said.

"But what are the other things around it that happened? Sure, you're going all over the place. What happened in three days? I'm not sure, but it's worth thinking about. Get your imagination going."

Gibson faced resistance from Hollywood when he pitched the first Passion movie but it went on to be a box office smash, taking in $612m worldwide. 

Caviezel told Brietbart that the film's huge success didn't mean more work for him, and that actually the opposite happened. 

"The film exploded. It was off the charts," Caviezel said.

"You'd think, 'Oh, you're going to work a lot.' No, I didn't. I was no longer on the studio list. That was gone."

But he said he accepted the role because his personal "faith was much bigger than the industry and Hollywood, and bigger than the Republican or Democratic Party or any of that."

"Because of what I do as an actor — that's my skill — it was given to me from God. I didn't give it to myself," he said. 

News
Faith in difficult times: lessons from 1930s Britain
Faith in difficult times: lessons from 1930s Britain

Architectural historian Steven Brindle talks to Christian Today about the faith that shaped 1930s Britain, the churches that supported struggling communities and what lessons the decade might have for us today.

Campaign aims to mobilise 500,000 Christians for Christmas outreach
Campaign aims to mobilise 500,000 Christians for Christmas outreach

Shine Your Light is aiming to mobilise half a million Christians to share the gospel with five million people across the UK this Christmas, with more than 2,000 churches already signed up, organisers say.

The Church of England should repent for previous calls to ban 'conversion therapy'
The Church of England should repent for previous calls to ban 'conversion therapy'

The Church of England's uneasiness about the government's ‘conversion practices’ bill is a perfect lesson in the old adage, 'be careful what you wish for,' writes Dr Martin Davie.

Leaked Home Office report links 'Christian extremism' to traditionalist beliefs and immigration concerns
Leaked Home Office report links 'Christian extremism' to traditionalist beliefs and immigration concerns

An internal Home Office report lists concerns about immigration, multiculturalism and changing social values among the characteristics associated with what it calls "Christian extremism", it has been reported.