Mel Gibson's 'Passion of the Christ' Blockbuster Getting a Resurrection Sequel

It's been 12 years since the release of Mel Gibson's controversial take on one of the pillars of Christianity, the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ -- and audiences might be getting a new iteration of the biblical story told by the Oscar winner. Is the Mad Max star working on a sequel based on the resurrection?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gibson, a very outspoken Catholic, is definitely working on a new project following up where he left off with Passion. Randall Wallace, the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter behind Gibson's Braveheart, recently revealed to the press that the two are teaming up again, writing a follow-up to 2004's Passion of the Christ.

Wallace recently directed the "faith-based drama" Heaven is for Real, and he revealed he and Gibson started seriously considering the possibility of a Passion follow-up when working together on the World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge, which is set to premiere on theaters later this year. Wallace co-wrote the film's script, and Gibson was in charge of directing.

The Huffington Post reports that there's currently no studio attached for the developing Passion sequel, but it seems likely it'll nab backing soon enough: the 2004 movie, which starred Jim Caviezel in the role of Jesus Christ, is the most successful independent film in history, making over 600 million worldwide. The movie's production budget was $30 million, so the idea of a sequel is certainly profitable after the wild success of the movie, a very personal project for Gibson.

It's unclear whether Caviezel would return to the role that made him a megastar in 2004, but it seems unlikely considering he's 47, almost 15 years older than Christ's reported age at the time of his crucifixion and resurrection.

At the time of the film's release, The Passion of the Christ was surrounded with controversy, as some critics called the portrayal of Jewish characters anti-Semitic, an idea that was cemented when, a couple of years later, a report from a DUI arrest quoted Gibson in an angry tirade including the phrase "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

Since that arrest, Gibson, once among the biggest stars in Hollywood, has been mostly out of the spotlight, and his actions are often cited in jokes, particularly by British comedian and actor Ricky Gervais.

A Passion of the Christ sequel could mark a big comeback for Gibson, who has kept active but largely in the dark in the years since his well-publicized arrest.