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Holy Roller: Passion of the Christ Sells 4.1 Million Videos

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" brought in more than $370 million at the box office and now E! Online says the controversial film has sold 4.1 million copies in its first day of video release.

To put this in perspective, consider this: The all-time first-day DVD champ is "Finding Nemo," which sold 8 million copies. "Nemo" was rated G. "Passion" was rated R (and a hard R at that). "Nemo" is a light-hearted fish tale that appeals to all sorts of demographics. "Passion" is neither light-hearted nor widely appealing (nor a fish tale).

Moreover, "Passion" DVD distributor Fox Home Entertainment says people are buying multiple copies (1.8 per buyer). These DVDs contain no bonus footage, no sacrosanct commentary and (as far as I can tell) no Get Into Heaven Free cards, yet consumers are scooping them up in batches.

Scott Hettrick, editor-in-chief of DVD Exclusive, tells Reuters that "Passion" may ultimately sell 15-18 million copies and bring in around $400 million through DVD and VHS sales. -- Mac Slocum

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Posted by Mac on September 1, 2004 10:26 PM
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