Mel Gibson is bringing back Jim Caviezel as Jesus in 'Passion of the Christ' sequel

Jim Caviziel, who essayed the role of Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's highly-controversial movie Passion of the Christ, is poised to return to reprise his role as Jesus Christ in the much-awaited sequel of the movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

It has been confirmed that the actor is in negotiations with Gibson, who is likely set to produce and direct again.

The actor, 49, first played thirty-something-year-old Jesus 14 years ago.

The first part cost $30 million to make, was shot in Italy and the dialogue was in Aramaic, Herbew and Latin. The R-rated movie also courted controversy with its graphic violence and anti-semitic undertones.

It was first reported 20 months ago that a sequel was in the works, but it wasn't known until yesterday whether Gibson was interested in again casting Caviezel as Jesus.

Screenwriter Randall Wallace, who wrote Gibson's Oscar-winning Braveheart, had been working on a screenplay for The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection.

Gibson's original Passion of the Christ was released by Newmarket Films in 2004 and earned an impressive $612 million worldwide on just a $30 million production budget.