'Da Vinci Code' opens with estimated $29 million

Da Vinci Code Forum

Film is on track for year's biggest opening-weekend gross

Saturday, May 20, 2006; Posted: 6:45 p.m. EDT (22:45 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- "The Da Vinci Code" banked an estimated $29 million at the box office on its first day in theaters, an industry official said Saturday, positioning the film to turn in the strongest opening weekend for any movie this year.

Preliminary results showed that the movie, based on a runaway best-seller and starring multiple-Oscar winner Tom Hanks, appealed to moviegoers despite lackluster reviews.

The Columbia Pictures movie opened in 3,735 theaters in the United States and grossed a respectable average of $7,764 per screen.

"This is the first big film of the summer to exceed box office expectations," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., which tracks box office receipts.

Dergarabedian said the movie could gross $60 million to $80 million in its opening weekend. That would easily eclipse Tom Cruise's latest offering, Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III," which fell well below expectation with $48 million on its opening weekend earlier this month.

For "Da Vinci Code," controversy around a script that suggests Jesus married and fathered a child "only served to pump up the marketplace and get moviegoers get really interested in seeing what the fuss was about," Dergarabedian said.

"Whether you are a fan of the book or just a lover of great mystery thrillers, this film is a true entertainment event," said Steve Elzer, a spokesman for Columbia Pictures. "We had an exceptionally strong Friday, with sellout business reported in territories virtually all over the world."

The film's box office take was notable in a shaky Hollywood market but far from record-setting. Twenty-nine films have had single-day receipts that exceeded $30 million.

The record for the biggest opening day, $50 million, is held by last year's "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

Preliminary three-day box-office estimates were to be released Sunday, with final figures expected Monday.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Just under $30 million, for an opening day. Not bad, at all. And had the opening day been a holiday, or weekend, it would have been a lot larger.

I can't wait to hear the final figure for this movies opening weekend.

Guess that all the protesting that the extremists did, well, it back fired.

I dont' think we are extremists to protest the movie, were moderate Christians who don't like the storyline.

I'm not talking about YOU, Dave.... I'm talking about the people who went out and protested.

I wish that there were protesters hanging around the theater when I went. It would have been cool. Actually kind of a let-down that no one was there.

I went opening night and the place was jam packed with folks.

I saw the DaVinci Code the first day of its release. My friend and I went together. She had not read the book and was totally lost throughout. I read the book more than a year and a half ago and had forgotten some of it but I was able to at least follow the plot. It really helps to have read the book and to have remembered it better than I did before seeing the movie. I'm going to read the book again. Certain things in the book that I found absolutely fascinating were not mentioned in the movie.....things like the "devine equasion" which just blew me away. The other thing was the "sacred feminine." That's the main reason why I want to re-read the book. I personally thought it was pretty well done. I was not offended by the theory put forth in the story.

Thanks for sharing, Kerry02. I really want to see this movie, and now, you've helped push me to not seeing it until I've read the book. It's on my shelf, and I will, as soon as I've finished the one I'm currently reading.

I've never read the book and didn't have a problem following the plot, but I'm sure I would have enojoyed it even more if I had known the plot beforehand.

I think that the best acting was done by the man who played Silas. He was amazing. Very scary.