Mel's Passion still reigns
2004-03-15 12:18
Los Angeles - Mel Gibson's explosive epic The Passion of the Christ headed the North American box office for its third weekend, taking $31.6m, according to preliminary industry figures on Sunday.
Despite claims the movie is anti-semitic and overly violent in depicting the final hours of Jesus Christ, since its February 25 launch the movie has earned a massive $264m, according to Exhibitor Relations.
In second place Secret Window starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro raked in $19m, as last week's number two, Starsky and Hutch - an action flick based on a popular 1970s US television series and starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson - earned $16m.
Fourth was horseback adventure movie Hidalgo, which took $11.7m, followed by teen comedy Agent Cody Banks 2 which took $8m.
In sixth place was the romantic comedy 50 First Dates, starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, with $5.3m.
In seventh place, Twisted took $3m, while Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen earned $2.4m.
Rounding out the top 10 were huge Oscar winner, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, in ninth place, taking $2.05m, while action movie Spartan with Val Kilmer earned $2.03m.