In what may be a shocker to Hollywood, but I have predicted all along, Mel Gibson\’s The Passion of Christ is set to be a blockbuster.
Here\’s the latest story from Variety magazine…
\’Passion\’ poised for heavenly B.O.
(Variety) The movie that couldn\’t find a distributor a year ago is now poised to become this year\’s first surprise hit.
Though not a single television ad has aired for \”The Passion of the Christ\” two weeks before its release, Mel Gibson (news)\’s depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus is eclipsing mainstream Hollywood fare in audience interest.
Fostered by wide media coverage and a grassroots marketing campaign aimed at evangelical Christians, \”Passion\” is registering numbers on recent surveys by Nielsen NRG that suggest an opening in the $15 million-$30 million range.
The figures top those for pics whose heavy TV campaigns are well under way, such as Adam Sandler (news) laffer \”50 First Dates,\” which opens Friday, and Warner Bros.\’ \”Welcome to Mooseport,\” which will opens Feb. 27, two days post-\”Passion.\”
Icon Prods. and its domestic distrib partner Newmarket Films won\’t start a TV ad campaign until later this week.
Not that they\’ve needed one.
The film, and the controversy over whether it is anti-Semitic, has kept the media\’s attention on \”Passion.\”
This week, star James Caviezel is on the cover of Newsweek in character as Jesus with the headline, \”Who Really Killed Jesus?\” Next Monday, ABC\’s \”Primetime Live\” devotes a full hour in sweeps to \”Passion,\” including an interview of Gibson by Diane Sawyer.
\”It\’s one of the most talked about films since the first \’Star Wars\’ prequel,\” said Exhibitor Relations prexy Paul Dergarabedian.
Click here for the whole story
I find this all VERY exciting. People are finally going to see a physical representation of the last day of Christ as it really was, treated with factual integrity and respect. How wonderful that Christ will become a topic of discussion in places where the Church has failed to stimulate interest. There will be many people who enter the theater to see a film and walk out with major questions about their lives and what place the resurrected Saviour has in their lives. I guarantee there will be those who avoid the film regardless of the quality.
I so appreciate Michael Medved, the orthodox Jewish movie critic. I highly recommend reading his piece on The Passion of Christ to bring common sense to the hysterical reactions of some in the Jewish community. Of course, I disagree with his comments that turn a blind eye to the veracity of Christ\’s account, but I support his words to the Jewish community, instructing them to back off the ridiculous claims that the film will inspire anti-semitism.
We are just a couple weeks away from the opening of the film. I hope to have to the opportunity to discuss it with many seekers.
Incidentally, due to the number of posts I have made on this topic, I decided to assign it a category. Complete coverage of The Passion of Christ