The Da Vinci Code News

"The Da Vinci Code" is now venturing into "Titanic" territory. Foreign gross has hit $479.1 million, representing 71% of the worldwide total of $678 million. Those numbers place "Code" on the verge of passing "Forrest Gump" as the top-grossing drama after James Cameron's blockbuster. Sony reported Monday that "Code" finished its fifth weekend with $14.2 million at 7,800 playdates overseas, declining 35% from the previous frame. The figure -- $1 million off Sunday's estimate -- left Fox's "X-Men: The Last Stand" as the weekend's winner with $14.6 million at 6,271 engagements and ended the religious thriller's foreign box office win streak at four weekends.

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In a come-from-behind victory, Pixar and Disney's "Cars" managed to hold the top spot with $31.2 million despite a heavy drop for the CG toon and stronger-than-expected competish from Paramount's "Nacho Libre," which bowed in second place. After Friday's shows, "Cars" actually trailed both "Nacho" and Universal's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," but a strong Saturday for "Cars" pushed the Pixar toon to the top of the pack.

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Jen and Vince slayed the mutants at the box office. The top two pics set contrasting records. "The Break-Up" had the biggest opening -- with $38.1 million -- for a romantic comedy in the crowded summer season and the third highest opening of all time for the genre, behind "Hitch" and "50 First Dates."

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This weekend, Fox unleashes its only summer tentpole, "X-Men: The Last Stand," on one of the two most lucrative frames of the season. Tracking is very strong, particularly with young men, but there's a big roadblock: "The Da Vinci Code." While "X-Men" will almost certainly come in No. 1, the hit lit adaptation will suck away a chunk of the adult aud and will likely keep "X-Men" from reaching the boffo $85.6 million bow of "X2" three years ago.

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"The Da Vinci Code" actually unlocked nearly $8 million more overseas than Sony estimated on Sunday, pushing its record-setting opening gross to $154.7 million at 12,213 playdates. Much of the boost came from European markets such as the U.K. and Germany, where actuals wound up at least $1 million higher than Sunday estimates.

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Striking while the iron is sizzling, Sony has signed "The Da Vinci Code" scribe Akiva Goldsman to adapt author Dan Brown's first religious thriller, "Angels & Demons." "Code" grossed $231.8 million worldwide in its first five days. Though development of "Angels & Demons" is still in the early stages, the studio's also planning to reassemble "The Da Vinci Code" producing team of Brian Grazer and John Calley for the project.

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Sony cracked the box office code after all. After suffering a critical drubbing at Cannes, "The Da Vinci Code" found the B.O. holy grail, garnering $77 million Stateside and a record $147 million overseas. Worldwide, pic's $224 million take gives Sony bragging rights to the second-biggest opening weekend ever, behind only that of "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

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Sony is hoping God is on its side this weekend. "The Da Vinci Code" hits theaters this weekend with gigantic hype...and tracking to match. Sony delivers the religious thriller to 3,735 theaters domestically and 12,213 in 79 markets overseas. Thanks to the pedigree of a mega-bestseller, along with a huge star and major marketing push, "Code" is putting Sony in the enviable position of trying to dampen industry expectations that pic could open as high as the 80 millions. An opening at least in the 60s looks more likely.

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Sony Pictures isn't the only division of its parent conglom banking on "The Da Vinci Code" this weekend: Sony Electronics is looking to it as the first test of its digital cinema strategy. Pic will be the first to play commercially in the U.S. on one of Sony's 4K digital projectors. While other d-cinema companies are producing so-called 2K projectors, which are lower-quality but easier to manufacture and deploy, Sony is competing with its bigger, better and more expensive alternative.

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A weak $20.3 million opening for "Poseidon" was grim news for Warner Bros., which will have to count on foreign grosses to avoid a financial bath on the $150 million-plus remake. "Mission: Impossible III" took first place very comfortably with $24.5 million. While a 49% second-weekend drop wasn't awful, it ended Par's hopes that good reviews and word of mouth would lead to a stronger-than-average hold after pic's weak $47.7 million bow.

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