Actor Jim Caviezel says he’s turning to C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters for spiritual preparation as he prepares to reprise the role of Jesus in “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the forthcoming sequel to Mel Gibson’s 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ.”
In a recent appearance on the “Arroyo Grande” show, Caviezel opened up about his return to the role 20 years after “The Passion of the Christ,” offering a glimpse into his mental, physical and spiritual approach to what he calls a “war.”
“I’m not going to play Jesus,” Caviezel said. “I need Him to play me.”
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The sequel is set to begin filming in Rome this August, with a targeted 2026 release date. Gibson recently told podcaster Joe Rogan the film will be an “acid trip,” a surreal and intense exploration of the aftermath of Christ’s Crucifixion.
Caviezel, now 56, will reportedly be digitally de-aged to portray a 33-year-old Jesus.
Caviezel recalled the physically grueling and spiritually taxing conditions on the set of “The Passion of the Christ,” which included dislocated shoulders, hypothermia and being struck by lightning while filming the Crucifixion scene.
“I got shot right out of my body,” he said. “I watched them trying to revive me … and then they brought me back, and then I felt the most pain.”
By the end of production, Caviezel revealed he had developed fluid in his lungs, full-body infections and required two heart surgeries.
“It was enough to kill me,” he said. “My heart shut off.”
Despite the trauma, Caviezel said he didn’t hesitate when Gibson approached him about the sequel.
“You want me to play Jesus, don’t you?” Caviezel recalled asking Gibson. “I’m in.”
Caviezel revealed that he’s begun fasting and meditating on the rosary in preparation for the role. He plans to receive the Eucharist daily during filming. The actor said he’s also been reading The Screwtape Letters, Lewis’ classic work that imagines demonic correspondence, to help him get into the mindset of “the thoughts of evil.”
“I’m not a sheep,” he said. “I’m a converted wolf.”
Caviezel also described his preparation as entering a spiritual battle: “This is a war,” he said.
After its 2004 premiere, “The Passion of the Christ” became the highest-grossing R-rated film in U.S. history, raking in $370.8 million against its $30 million budget. The film was also nominated for three Academy Awards.
In his latest interview, Caviezel said that when he originally accepted the role of Jesus in “The Passion,” Gibson warned him it could destroy his career.
“If you do this movie,” Gibson told him, “you may never work in this town again.”
Caviezel said he accepted the risk, even though his understanding of Catholic doctrine was still developing. “I didn’t even know what transubstantiation was back then,” he said. “But I do now.”
He recounted a moment of prayer during the original shoot when 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.'”
Caviezel said he’s approaching “Resurrection” with more perspective than he had two decades ago, adding: “I got too far over my skis on the last one. This time, I really want to stay in the moment. I want to enjoy this one.”
“If I wasn’t [scared], I wouldn’t want to work with that actor,” he said. “This is a war.”
The actor also said he isn’t concerned with public opinion: “The world didn’t like ‘The Passion,’ and that’s a good thing,” he said. “So we did a good job.”
Caviezel previously shared about how taking the role of Jesus led him to become “blacklisted” in Hollywood. Since that role, he’s appeared in several faith-adjacent films, including “Paul, Apostle of Christ” and Angel Studio’s “Sound of Freedom,” which became a surprise box office hit.
In a 2018 interview with The Christian Post, the actor said he’s determined to serve God with his career despite criticism from Hollywood.
“I’ll be point blank with you, my industry has been around for a century, the word of God has been around for 5,000 years if you want to go back to Moses and Abraham,” he said.
“Am I the right guy [for the parts]? No, I never thought I was the right guy to play Jesus [either] but a friend of mine told me this, he said, ‘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 reprise her role as Mary and Francesco De Vito will return as Peter in “The Resurrection.” Gibson is directing the film and co-wrote the script with “Braveheart” writer Randall Wallace.Â
In a 2022 interview with CP, Gibson said he’s drawn to stories that highlight redemption and the need for a Savior.
“I’ve been taught from a young age that we’re flawed, and you’re going to make mistakes,” he reflected. “We’re broken, and we need help. Usually, the best way to get help is to ask for it. And well, who do we ask? We’re asking something better than us. And the minute you acknowledge that there is something better than you, you might get something that resembles humility, which is really the key to the whole thing.”
He encouraged the next generation to “stick” to their “convictions” even though it’s “hard” in an increasingly polarized society.Â
“Sometimes you’re presented with choices or put in places that are very difficult, and some of those choices are hard,” he said. “You just have to examine your own conscience and take the right road, I think. … There’s no right way; there are a million wrong ways, and you just have to eliminate those or just use your best discernment to get through.”
“But it’s hard, man,” he added. “Life’s hard. But we’re all going. We’ve all got a boulder we’re dragging.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
