'Passion' a temptation for stay-at-home crowd
Advertiser Staff
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Several people at last weekend's Hawaiian Island Ministries conference said they were almost never to be found at a theater, but wanted to see Mel Gibson's depiction of the last 12 hours of Jesus' life.
That included conference-goer Al Lum, who said he seldom goes to movies, but for "Passion" he's making an exception.
"I hardly go to movies," agreed Cora Freitas, a retired Big Island teacher, who said the last time she sat in a movie theater was four years ago. But she's buying a ticket, if her son will take her.
Virginia Mansinon, 77, said she decided to go — though she's not a moviegoer, either — after watching Diane Sawyer interview the film's creator, Mel Gibson.
In its first five days of release, the movie took in $125 million. In its opening weekend, it clocked in at $83.8 million.
In comparison, "X2: X-Men United" brought in a cool $85.6 million for its opening weekend in May 2003. "Star Wars II Episode II: Attack of the Clones" brought in about $80 million in its opening weekend in 2002.
"The Passion of the Christ" is also bucking trends by raking in high ticket sales as an R-rated show.
Only the R-rated "Matrix Reloaded" was able to beat it, bringing in $91.8 million for its opening weekend in May. Most of the top 10 box-office openers are rated PG or PG-13.
