The Cinematic Code is Dead

Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, writes the obituary over at NRO:

The Da Vinci Code is dead. Four weeks after release, its box-office grosses this past weekend came in at a remarkably anemic $10 million. That’s dead.

The Da Vinci Code opened four weeks ago with an ungodly amount of free publicity and returned a whopping $77 million in its first week of release. It should have broken all records — it had that kind of momentum. But then it dropped like a stone. In four weeks it went from $77 million to $45 million to $18 million and now to $10 million. That’s an 88-percent drop in a month. And this is while still appearing in more than 3,700 theaters. D-e-a-d.

Make no mistake, the movie made its money back, but it needed the foreign markets to do it. Its production budget was $125 million. Add another $50-$75 million for advertising/marketing and prints and so far its $189 million domestic take is under water.

Internationally, the movie has grossed $452 million in 67 countries, which will likely more than cover what must have been a substantial international advertising and marketing budget. (And shamefully, the “Catholic” countries of France, Italy, and Spain snapped up tickets to the tune of $29 million, $34 million, and $28 million respectively..)

It is expected that ancillary sales will bring in substantially more, perhaps another $50 million in DVD rentals and sales. Toss in television and cable and they are looking at nice profit.

So, how can I possibly suggest that The Da Vinci Code is dead and maybe even a failure? First, because it dropped so quickly — four weeks and poof. It can be argued that the first weekend viewers saw it because they liked the book or came in on the hype. Still, at roughly 21 million tickets sold, not even all the book-buyers saw it. What killed it was word of mouth. People hated it.

Second, it is dead because it will not make much of a profit in domestic-box-office receipts. This is particularly delicious because this is what these guys slather over the most. Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are happy when they make money in the foreign and ancillary markets but it chaps their keisters to be saved by them.

Read entire piece.

Comments

[David Rasey]

In the words of John Cleese: "Are you TOTALLY deranged?" Why are you getting so upset by and wasting so much time on a WORK OF FICTION!?! "The Da Vinci Code" is a made-up detective-thriller-whodunit tale, nothing more, and the author has said so. Many times. Why do you think a fictional tale needs "debunking"? Look, take a Xanax and get over it. Twit.

David Rasey

[The Alien]

Ha ha ha ha ha aaaaaa what a load of shit.

[MLC]

David:
Great point of view. It's refreshing to see evidence of original thought from a fan of TDVC.

Alien:
Gotta hand it to you; that's a finely argued response to Ruse's article.

[Project9]

I think the movie did pretty well, after all it received more than US$600 mil. in just a month, which is more than you can say about "The Da Vinci Hoax" DVD and book combined. It did specially good taking into account how much the book was softened to appease religious zealots.

What did the writer of this article pretend? that people go watch the same movie every weekend out of sheer fanatism? No my friend, in this case the fanatism is at the other side of the fence.

One part of the "article" really catched my attention: "but it needed the foreign markets to do it." What is the writer trying to imply here?

[Project9]

>But then it dropped like a stone. In four weeks it went from $77 million to $45 million to $18 million and now to $10 million. That’s an 88-percent drop in a month. And this is while still appearing in more than 3,700 theaters. D-e-a-d.<

Let's take a look at the numbers of a movie like Star Wars Episode III:

Week #1 $108,435,841
Week #2 $70,047,055
Week #3 $25,088,336
Week #4 $14,850,000

Look at that! EpIII had an 86% drop by its fourth week.

Next!

[PhilVaz]

Compared with Titanic (1997) week by week

http://www.casenet.com/movie/titanic.htm

week, # that week, Date, Weekly $$$, # Theatres, Gross $$$

01---1---Dec 19---28,638,131---2674---$52,969,336
02---1---Dec 26---35,455,673---2711---124,152,693
03---1---Jan 02---33,315,278---2727---169,165,503
04---1---Jan 09---28,716,310---2746---206,734,370
05---1---Jan 16---30,011,034---2767---249,361,166
06---1---Jan 23---25,238,720---2771---282,193,031
07---1---Jan 30---25,907,172---2853---314,327,828
08---1---Feb 06---23,027,838---2956---343,394,297
09---1---Feb 13---28,167,947---3002---381,525,538
10---1---Feb 20---21,036,343---3006---407,350,832
11---1---Feb 27---19,633,056---3035---431,551,546
12---1---Mar 06---17,605,849---3103---453,867,325
13---1---Mar 13---17,578,815---3116---477,349,092
14---1---Mar 20---17,165,239---3169---500,049,030
15---1---Mar 27---15,213,500---3233---518,873,058
16---2---Apr 03---11,533,480---3265---534,295,450
17---3---Apr 10---08,558,241---3265---546,659,214
18---4---Apr 17---07,407,989---3012---555,676,775
19---4---Apr 24---04,938,575---2912---561,724,643
20---6---May 01---04,011,888---2660---566,641,840

Well compared to Titanic it was a failure. But so is every movie. Hee hee.

Passion at least had some staying power. It shouldn't come close to Passion's $370 million domestic. But internationally DVC wins.

Phil P

[Project9]

>Well compared to Titanic it was a failure. But so is every movie. Hee hee.

[PhilVaz]

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Week__Date__Rank__Gross__%dif__Sites__Avg__Total (millions)

WEEKENDS DOMESTIC

(1)__May 19-21__1__$77.073__000%__3735__$20,635__$077.073
(2)__May 26-28__2__$34.032__-56%__3754__$09,065__$136.513
(3)__Jun 02-04__4__$18.610__-45%__3757__$04,953__$171.966
(4)__Jun 09-11__5__$10.440__-44%__3319__$03,146__$189.200
(5)__Jun 16-18__9__$05.267__-50%__2413__$02,183__$198.768

==========================================================

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Week__Date__Rank__Gross__%dif__Sites__Avg__Total (millions)

WEEKENDS DOMESTIC

(1)__Feb 27-29__1__$83.848__000%__3043__$27,554__$125.186
(2)__Mar 05-07__1__$53.247__-36%__3170__$16,797__$213.889
(3)__Mar 12-14__1__$32.131__-40%__3221__$09,975__$264.510
(4)__Mar 19-21__2__$19.414__-40%__3250__$05,974__$295.507
(5)__Mar 26-28__3__$12.594__-35%__3214__$03,918__$315.153
(6)__Apr 02-04__5__$10.605__-16%__3408__$03,112__$330.857
(7)__Apr 09-11__1__$15.217__+43%__3240__$04,697__$353.006

From Lee's Movie Info

http://www.leesmovieinfo.net/

I expect Da Vinci Code to jump back to #1 any weekend now. :-)

Phil P

[Project9]

>(7)__Apr 09-11__1__$15.217__+43%__3240__$04,697__$353.006
>I expect Da Vinci Code to jump back to #1 any weekend now. :-)

It bounced back to #1 with only 15.2 mil. of revenues, that sure says a lot about the other movies shown on that same week ... lol that's like being the smartest kid with Down Syndrome, but hey don't let me take away your pride.

[PhilVaz]

Come on, give me $10 million for Da Vinci Code next week at least. Hee hee.

Bing Bong! The Code is dead. Which old Code? The Wicked Code! Bing Bong! The Wicked Code is dead.

Wake up -- sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed. Wake up, the Wicked Code is dead.

She's gone where the goblins go, Below -- below -- below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.

Bing Bong the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low. Let them know The Wicked Code is dead!

We'll see you on the blog next when the DVD comes out. In 2 months. Hee hee. Bing Bong!

Phil P

[Project9]

What an amazing display of maturity ... i'm totally overwhelmed.

[MLC]

P9, Phil's merely developing the theme suggested in the title of this post.

[Banned]

As of June 26
Domestic: $206,130,765 29.4%
+ Foreign: $495,346,006 70.6%
= Worldwide: $701,476,771

In Release: 39 days / 5.6 weeks
---------------------------------------
'nuff said! The religous fanatics on this board who live a live of wishful thinking are just plain nuts.

[PhilVaz]

Banned: "The religous fanatics on this board who live a live of wishful thinking are just plain nuts."

Nice try banned. It is a fact the movie made much less than Passion in USA domestic, but did well internationally. I'll grant you that. It is also a fact that Dan Brown doesn't know a darn thing about any of the subjects he discusses in his novel, which is the main purpose of this board of religious fanatics and The Da Vinci Hoax book: to educate wishful thinkers about the lies and historical blunders of the novel. Don't forget about the lies and historical nonsense of the novel. Some sites on those:

http://www.DaVinciHoax.com (book site)
http://www.DaVinciHoax.net (forwards to this blog)
http://www.DaVinciFraud.com (my site)
http://www.DaVinciDelusion.com
http://www.DaVinciOutreach.com
http://www.JesusDecoded.com (U.S. Catholic bishops)
http://www.HistoryVsTheDaVinciCode.com/

Are we done yet? Hee hee.

Phil P

[felicitas]

Can I share some resources with you?

[PhilVaz]

fel: "Can I share some resources with you?"

Who me? Sure. Hee hee.

Speaking of The Da Vinci Code movie being dead, I think this blog may be dead, or at least until the DVD comes out. I double dog dare Sony and Ron Howard to include interviews with Carl Olson, Sandra Miesel, Darrell Bock, or Amy Welborn on the DVD! Naw, wishful thinking indeed, they don't want the truth getting out.

Phil P

[Nessie]

The movie was horrible though the acting - I found - to be good. Firstly they changed the story at unnessesary parts and secondly it was so stupid how they return into the museum even though there is an entire city chasing after them! What the %&*(* makes zero sence. Oh and the ending sucks.

[stardestroyer]

I think the Da Vinci Code did well. In fact, it was probably the best movie I've seen in a long time. I saw it four times and I can't wait to own it. Its release date of Nov. 14th. The fact is: If Catholics are true to their beliefs they would not care about the Da Vinci Code. BUT sponsoring websites like this, show a great amount of fear or maybe even insecurity.

[Sylvie]

Oh give me a break, the movie made more money in it's fourth week then your little book and film will ever make combined. No one knows the real truth about any of that and the film was just trying to show you another side to all the theary's out there so who are you to bash something that is more famous then you, your book(s),and your film(s) will ever be.

xox

[*ugh sighs]

eeee come on now, what is the big deal. Dan Brown has a theory, isn't everyone intitled to one..or has the church said something about that too? I think his ideas are very agreeable, some yes are arguable but considering he worked what he thought and also fact around fiction i think its a brilliant book. At the start if you actually read it and are not blindfolded already by a faith it does actually say fact. Like his other books he writes a story with facts..deal with it..if you dont like it yeh come out with dvds and present your views but dont get all stressy about it.

Oh and another thing..big deal it didnt make a huge amount of money..many films dont and then are discovered to be great films and are admired and kept alive by their certain fans. If all films did brilliantly when they were first released then there would be a problem considering it seems the only films that do great at the box office these days are hyped up american blockbusters. Yes it may have been a letdown to the book but ask yourselves why is that? Hmm oh yeh the book must have been fantastic! Its opened peoples eyes, its not forced upon them it gives them a theory and you cant argue with, some fact. What they do with that is up to them.

Ugh closeminded people get me so mad...sell your dvds and your Leonardo Da Vinci hoax books and wotnots...people have been made aware now..they can make up their own minds to believe what they want to. But oh no once again Christianity is trying to blind the truth. And no, i believed that before any theories had been released, Dan Brown revealed to the world things i already believed but he did it a hell of a lot better and im very glad he did. Even if someone reads the book and thinks wow i disagree with most of that but wow thats a strange coincidence, at least theyre freethinking which was hard to do um oh lets say many years ago coincidentally before all the murders of innocent women and men! HUMPH!

[Mark Vane]

Hey, Quiet cool. BTW, I recently added a new cool News widget on my blog. Goto http://www.widgetmate.com or just google widgetmate. It gives a free customizable news widget that can added to your blog for latest news on the topics of your interest. Simple cut paste.

[warm]

Reading Da Vinci code is like munching a poisoned browny.
http://dreamershub.youthalivehigh.com/?p=4
My comments

[ganeshan]

this is a shocking revelation of the jesus christ and also the film make me an unbelievable opinion.
-------
ganeshan

Sreevysh Corp

[Soft Cialis]

I have proper lighting equipment and the proper camera that records in high def, and I still can't produce this finished look.

When looking at behind the scene movie set photos the lighting is not that great, but watching the movie of the same exact scenes has that cinematic finish.

How exactly do I produce this same cinematic effect?