JIM CAVIEZEL PREPARES TO REPRISE JESUS ROLE WITH FASTING AND SPIRITUAL REFLECTION

ROME — Actor Jim Caviezel has revealed that he is undergoing spiritual preparation to once again portray Jesus in The Resurrection of the Christ, the upcoming sequel to The Passion of the Christ. Filming is set to begin in Rome in August 2025.

In an interview on the Arroyo Grande show, Caviezel shared that he is reading C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters as part of his preparation to understand the battle between good and evil, a central theme of the film.

“I’m not going to play Jesus,” Caviezel said. “I need Him to play me.”

The film, directed by Mel Gibson, is scheduled for release in 2026. Gibson has described the sequel as an intense and surreal exploration of the aftermath of Christ’s crucifixion.

Caviezel, now 56, will reportedly be digitally de-aged to portray a 33-year-old Jesus. He recalled the challenges of filming The Passion of the Christ in 2004, during which he endured a dislocated shoulder, hypothermia, and was even struck by lightning during the crucifixion scene.

“I felt like I was shot out of my body,” he said. “I saw them trying to revive me.”

By the end of filming, Caviezel suffered from fluid in his lungs, a full-body infection, and had to undergo two heart surgeries.

Despite these hardships, he immediately accepted the role when Gibson reached out again.

As part of his preparation, Caviezel is now fasting, praying the Rosary, and plans to receive the Eucharist daily during filming. He said that The Screwtape Letters has helped him understand the mindset of evil, which he finds important for the role.

“I’m not a sheep,” Caviezel said. “I’m a converted wolf.”

He described this preparation as entering into a spiritual war:

“This is a war,” he said.

The Passion of the Christ, released in 2004, became the highest-grossing R-rated film in U.S. history, earning about $370.8 million on a $30 million budget. It received three Academy Award nominations.

Caviezel shared that when he first accepted the role of Jesus, Gibson warned him it might cost him his career.

“If you do this movie,” Gibson told him, “you may never work in this town again.”

Caviezel said he took the risk, even though his understanding of Catholic doctrine was still developing.

“I didn’t even know what transubstantiation was back then,” he admitted. “But I do now.”

He recalled a moment of prayer during the original filming where he asked for divine help in his performance.

“I asked Him, ‘Will You present Yourself to the world?’” Caviezel said. “And He said, ‘I don’t have anybody else.’”

Now, he approaches The Resurrection with a more mature perspective.

“I went too fast last time. This time, I want to stay present. I want to enjoy this one,” he said.

“If I weren’t scared, I wouldn’t want to work with that actor,” he added. “This is a war.”

Caviezel also said he doesn’t worry about public opinion:

“The world didn’t like The Passion, and that’s a good thing. It means we did something right.”

He previously shared that taking the role of Jesus led to him being blacklisted in Hollywood. Since then, he has appeared in several faith-based films, including Paul, Apostle of Christ and Angel Studio’s Sound of Freedom, a surprise box office success.

In a 2018 interview with The Christian Post, Caviezel said he remains committed to using his career to serve God, despite criticism.

“My industry has been around for a century. The Word of God has been around for 5,000 years, going back to Moses and Abraham,” he said.

“Am I the right person for these roles? No. I never thought I was the right guy to play Jesus either. But a friend of mine once told me, ‘God doesn’t always choose the best, but He chose you. So what are you going to do about it?’”

In addition to Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern will return as Mary, and Francesco De Vito as Peter. Mel Gibson is directing and co-writing the script with Braveheart writer Randall Wallace.

In a 2022 interview with The Christian Post, Gibson said he is drawn to stories that reflect redemption and the need for a Savior.

“I was taught from a young age that we’re flawed, and we make mistakes,” Gibson said. “We’re broken and need help. The best way to get help is to ask for it. And who do we ask? Someone greater than us.”

“And once you acknowledge that there is something greater than yourself, you might gain humility. And that’s the key to everything.”

He encouraged young people to stick to their values even when it’s difficult in today’s divided world.

“Sometimes you face hard choices. You just have to follow your conscience and choose the right path. There’s no one right way, but there are millions of wrong ones,” he said.

“It’s hard, man,” he added. “Life’s hard. But we’re all in it together. We’re all dragging our own boulder.”