Jim Caviezel Will Not Return as Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ Sequel, Search Underway for Replacement

Jim Caviezel will not be returning to his role as Jesus Christ, according to reports.

The actor, 57, starred as Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s blockbuster biblical drama The Passion of the Christ. However, he will not be returning to the role for The Resurrection of the Christ, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.

Monica Bellucci, who portrayed Mary Magdalene in the 2004 epic, will also not be returning as a completely new cast will star in the sequel. Page Six was the first to report the casting updates.

Pre-production is currently underway for The Resurrection of the Christ as new actors are being sourced for the project in Rome, according to the outlet.

The reports come after Caviezel spoke about returning to his star-turning role as Jesus in the long-awaited sequel in an interview.

Speaking on the Arroyo Grande podcast in April, the actor shared his thoughts on rejoining the project. “Now I get these bonus years and I had no idea [on the original film]. At the time, after I was done, it was done.”

Caviezel revealed that he first learned that there would be a sequel to The Passion of the Christ in 2013. When asked if he was “worried” to reprise the role, he said, “Of course I am, but that will never [go away]m … but I was worried on the last one.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Caviezel said that this time he would like to “really stay in this moment,” adding, “I want to enjoy this one more than I did the other one.”

According to IMDB, Caviezel is still signed up for The Resurrection of the Christ, along with Romanian actress Maia Morgenstern and Francesco De Vito, who starred in The Passion of the Christ in 2004. 

The Resurrection of the Christ retells the story of the resurrection of Jesus. Filming for The Resurrection of the Christ was previously reported to have started in August at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, according to Variety.

The sequel will be split into two parts, with the first part premiering on March 26, 2027. Part 2 will premiere on Thursday, May 6, 2027. 

PEOPLE has reached out to Lionsgate for comment.