Mel Gibson’s casting as Mary in director ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ faces backlash

Mel Gibson has cast his cast for The Passion of the Christ sequel, but one of his choices is controversial.

Gibson’s long-awaited sequel to the hit 2004 Biblical drama, The Resurrection: Part 1, has cast Jaako Otonen as Jesus of Nazareth, Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene, and Kasia Smutniak as Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Smutniak, a Polish-Italian actress and activist, supports the Strike Kobiet (Women’s Strike) movement against Poland’s strict abortion laws. She shared a candid social media post about the issue.

Supporters of Poland’s anti-choice and Justice Party (PiS) wrote a letter to Gibson’s Icon Productions banner protesting her casting, Variety reported, citing Polish media.

PEOPLE has reached out to Smutniak’s talent agency for comment. However, when Variety contacted a spokesperson, she said she had no knowledge of the protests.

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Gibson, 69, began work on “The Resurrection” this summer. The Oscar-winning actor and director joins Randall Wallace as a co-writer on the sequel.

“The Passion of the Christ” stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Caviezel and Bellucci would not be returning to the roles. This work, which tells the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus Christ, was inspired by the New Testament and Anne Catherine Emmerich’s The Sorrowful Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The follow-up records the resurrection of Jesus.

In January, Gibson, a vocal conservative supporter of President Donald Trump, was named one of Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, along with actors Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight. The Braveheart star lost his gun rights following a domestic violence incident in 2010, but had them restored in April of this year.

Lionsgate plans to release “The Resurrection of Christ: Part 1″ on March 26, 2027, with Part 2 scheduled to be released 40 days later on May 6, 2027. Following “Flight Risk,” which he directed earlier this year, Gibson’s upcoming acting projects include “Hunting Season” and “The Canyon.”