Actor-director Mel Gibson has been sued by the co-screenwriter of the controversial “The Passion of the Christ” who claims he has been deprived of his rightful compensation for work on the project.

Mel Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald shared screenwriting credits on 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ” and Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against his former collaborator, accusing Gibson of fraud, breach of contract and unfair business practices.

“Gibson preyed monetarily on Ben, taking advantage of his unbridled enthusiasm for the project and with full cognizance of Ben's fundamental personal and spiritual beliefs,” the lawsuit says.

Fitzgerald is claiming Gibson misled him, engaging in a “chronic and conspiratorial pattern of deceit.” Thus, Fitzgerald says Gibson told him the project would be small, costing somewhere between $4 and $7 million, with little profit for the screenwriter and none for Gibson, People.com reports.

This was later dispelled by the film’s box office success, estimated at some $600 million in ticket sales worldwide. The suit also alleges the film cost almost $30 million in the end.

Gibson’s camp has dismissed the charges, saying no wrongdoing was committed against Fitzgerald and branding the lawsuit as “utterly baseless.” Fitzgerald “was handsomely compensated, a very significant amount of money for any writer on any project,” George R. Hedges, an attorney for Gibson's production company, Icon, told People.

Fitzgerald is asking for $5 million in damages. He claims in the 21-page suit that he “accepted a salary substantially less than what he would have taken had he known the true budget for the film.”

The frustrated writer adds that he even borrowed $200,000 from Gibson for expenses, per People.

“The Passion of the Christ” starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Virgin Mary, Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene, Hristo Shopov as Pontius Pilate and Mattia Sbragia as Yosef Caiaphas.

The film received little recognition at the Academy Awards, nominated only for best original score (music), best cinematography, and best makeup.