SUBMITTED BY Timbo

February 25, 2004 — "The Passion of the Christ" is doing very well at the box office.

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" took in an estimated $15 million to $20 million after just one day of release, a remarkable number for a religious-themed movie so divisive that no Hollywood studio would touch it.

"The Passion" rang up $7 million in matinee ticket sales alone in the United States and Canada on Wednesday, said Rob Schwartz, head of distribution for Newmarket Films, which Gibson hired to release the movie after studios balked.

With an estimated $3 million from private screenings for church groups Monday and Tuesday in advance of Wednesday's official opening, grosses for "The Passion" were expected to climb as high as $20 million once evening screenings are counted, Schwartz said.

"I think the prospects are certainly good for at least hitting $100 million overall. Then again, we have to see how the rest of the weekend plays out," Schwartz said. "Hopefully, if we continue the torrid pace we're starting to set now, that's an achievable number."

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