Several sites are reporting this and I’m pretty sure it is not April Fools Day. Mel and Jim Cavaziel will be back for a 2019 or 2020 release.

I think it will still be able to draw in the big Faith crowds, but not the curious minded who saw the first because it was a cultural sensation. $80/$215m

The first teaser:

This'll be another My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. The Passion was a perfect storm of controversy and that era, and it's just been too long. This will be lucky to make in total what the first film made opening weekend.

Yeah, there have been too many low rent similar films for this to do well.

Yeah, this is a bad idea, and I also see it being another My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. I wholeheartedly agree with Jonathan.

I wonder what the title would be. Maybe The Resurrection of Christ.

The current title is The Resurrection.

Underestimating Mel Gibson I see. That and Christian groups flocking to see this. I don't see it reaching the heights of the first as that was such a emotionally draining film. I remember it. I would certainly watch this no question.

Sure, there will be intrigue. But outside of your Christian demo, I don't think it will interest mainstream moviegoers again like the first one did ... unless there is some huge controversy. Which I doubt. To a lot of people, Gibson is also still the worst man on the planet. Thanks to Weinstein, this has lessened, but I still think $75-90m is where it will land. Also, the resurrection is the least interesting part of the story.

It still will be a major grosser just not to the level of TPOTC. I can see it doing close to $200m.

TPOTC's "controversy" only helped bring in additional viewers but the faith based viewership alone was still huge. It will be interesting to see what Gibson has planned though - because it will be more than just the resurrection itself.

This can still generate plenty of controversy. Especially if it lands in 2020, when Trump is going for reelection.

Trump won't go for reelection, and even if he does I don't see how that has any effect on this film. I can't see any connection. And besides, the election is in November, and this film will be released at Easter.

Too late

Yep agree with Algren. Has nothing to do with Trump.

Definitely doing 200m plus domestic and 400m plus WW.

Eh I find it kind of ridiculous this is actually happening, but I guess there's an audience for it. Hard to predict it without seeing a trailer, but $100M+ shouldn't be too hard, especially if it opens over $50M although I don't see it not being really front loaded like most movies in this genre have been these days.

Yet not one cleared $100m.

This is why Mel shouldn't do it. He's kind of stupid for dragging all that shit back up again.

Though the whole "Mel hating Jews" thing was rubbish in the first place. But yeah it will probably be dragged up.

How will they play this as a controversy in the marketing?

But would risk losing the whole marketing point without Gibson.

Besides the controversy about the person Mel Gibson, he still knows his shit. I won't underestimate this project until I have more facts...

Loved the first one. Saw it multiple times. We Christians will ensure this does well. If they’re smart Passion 2 will release in March and ride the Easter boxoffice crest wave a few weeks later.

It won't come close to doing the numbers of the first. Even I saw that out of curiosity and I'm an Atheist. Won't bother with a second. The first was controversial and everyone was talking about it and you were kind of out of the loop if you didn't see it. That's not going to happen again. But yeah, they need to release it around Easter. Maybe it will leg out with a solid multiplier then.

Although His return is imminent, this will see a sizable decline from the first. It doesn't have nearly the level of controversy and will lack "event film" status.

I think they won't care if it settles for the second highest-grossing Bible movie.