SUBMITTED BY Timbo

February 19, 2004 — "The Passion of the Christ" is getting a wider opening than initially expected -- Icon and Newmarket are distributing more than 4,000 prints of the movie, up from 2,500 earlier.

Passion" and the number of theaters that will show the pic on multiple screens. Icon and Newmarket now say they plan to be in 2,800 theaters, up from an original 2,000.

"It's really picked up in the last couple of days," said Newmarket chief Bob Berney. "A lot of what we've been hearing (from theater chains) is that instead of two prints, we want four. They anticipate a much bigger opening, and they want to be able to handle it."

"Passion" now stands to be distribbed on the same scale as some of Hollywood's biggest titles.

By way of comparison, "Master & Commander" unspooled in November with 3,101 playdates. "The Last Samurai" opened with 2,908. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which holds the record for opening at the most theaters, bowed at 3,703.

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