Lionsgate has been tapped as the studio partner for “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the long-anticipated follow-up to “The Passion of the Christ,” director Mel Gibson and Lionsgate announced Wednesday.

Mel Gibson ’s long-awaited The Passion of the Christ sequel, titled The Resurrection of the Christ , is ofifically moving forward and is set to start shooting in August at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. The new was announced by CEO Manuela Cacciamani.

The deal continues Gibson’s long association with Lionsgate, where he made his two most recent films: the Oscar-nominated war movie Hacksaw Ridge and the thriller Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg and released earlier this year. The studio is also the distributor for the Icon library, including The Passion of the Christ.