Jesus Film receives modern remake

By Jacqueline Mahugu | 5mos ago | 3 min read

In some good news for its fans all around the world, the most translated film of all time, the JESUS film which premiered in 1979, has received a modern, 21st-century remake. Jesus Film Project has announced the launch of their latest cinematic undertaking, JESUS (2025). The ground-breaking film, which is set to hit theatres worldwide in December 2025, brings the story of Jesus to life as depicted in the Christian Gospels, introducing His story to a new generation through cutting-edge film technology.

Jesus Film Project unveiled news of the highly anticipated animation in three coordinated global events in Seoul, South Korea, Washington D.C., America, and Kampala, Uganda. The three events saw the attendance of influential public figures from across the Christian, media, political, and celebrity landscape.

Jesus (2025) serves as a spectacular remake of the iconic 1979 JESUS film, a Christmas favourite which holds the Guinness World Record as the most translated film of all time. Fusing unparalleled visual effects and computer graphics, the film benefits from the expertise and talent of a stellar technical and production team, whose credits include Pixar, Disney, and Star Wars.

Dominic Carola, the director of Jesus (2025) has worked on notable animated films such as Mulan, The Lion King and Lilo & Stitch. Carola said, “I feel honoured to serve with this truly dream team of feature animation veterans and impressive studio industry artisans. We are working towards presenting the true story of Jesus beautifully animated and making His story more accessible to the world. Leaning into a classic artistic approach, we’re combining that with ground-breaking digital innovations to deliver a visually stunning and emotionally resonant portrayal of Jesus’ life like never before. The team is thoroughly excited that subsequent aspects of the animated film will be used across various platforms, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the emerging Metaverse.”

Tens of millions of people across the world are reported by the team to have made decisions to follow Christ as a result of the original 1979 film. The team hopes that the release of the new animated version will introduce an entirely new generation to the hope and truth of the gospel message.

Josh Newell, Executive Director of Jesus Film Project, said, “Just like the original, this animated experiential film will ultimately touch lives in over 2,000 languages, spreading the hope of Jesus to people around the globe. It’s amazing to be a part of the continued dispersal of the story of Jesus. Even still in 2023, we’re sharing the gospel in new languages and new ways. The telling of the story of Jesus has evolved throughout history, from the Roman Road to the Gutenberg Press, and right up to the present day through the medium of animated film.”

The New York Times has reported the original JESUS Film, which has been translated into over 2,000 languages, is likely the most-watched film of all time, having been watched billions of times. The film was shot in Israel, and financed primarily by Campus Crusade for Christ, now known as Cru. According to the film’s website, by 2001 the film had been shown in every country in the world.

The film spawned hundreds of more films and the Jesus Film Project became a ministry of its own that has partnered with over 1800 other ministries. “These days Jesus Film Project carries more than 200 short and feature-length films, most available on our website and app. That collection includes animated short films like My Last Day (in an anime style), Legion and Chosen Witness. Contextualised films like Retelling the Good Story and Do You Ever Wonder? represent the wide breadth and forward-looking scope of the Jesus Film Project library,” reads the Jesus Film Project website.