| is offering bettors the chance to predict the opening | | | | "Poseidon" both opened to disappointing grosses. Most |
| weekend grosses of "The Da Vinci Code." The site | | | | adults looking for summer films often complain that |
| puts the over/under at $70 Million. | | | | summer films are only about "things blowing up and |
| There are many reasons given for declining movie | | | | talking animals." "The Da Vinci Code" is for them. Until |
| attendance. Some blame rising ticket costs. Others | | | | the new summer princes of romantic comedy, Vince |
| point to the Internet and video games as just some of | | | | Vaughn and Owen Wilson, open their movies later this |
| the competing entertainment options. Maybe it's that | | | | summer, what's the big date movie? While not your |
| people can simulate the experience of the movies with | | | | typical summer action flick, "The Da Vinci Code" still |
| home theaters. Still others say that people hate the 20 | | | | contains a lot of thrills and suspense, plus a strong |
| minutes of ads they are subjected to before each film. | | | | female lead to complement Tom Hanks. This film will |
| But the main reason might be the actual films | | | | be filling a void when it opens this weekend. |
| themselves. | | | | "The Da Vinci Code" is controversial. Senior Vatican |
| People still enjoy the communal experience of going to | | | | officials are urging a boycott of the film. This proposed |
| the movies. And this is one of many reasons it may be | | | | boycott has only brought additional attention to the film, |
| worth taking a flyer and betting on the over on the | | | | but now some might say that there is no such thing as |
| box office of "The Da Vinci Code." | | | | bad publicity. This is not necessarily true in the movie |
| Since the beginning of last summer, only five films | | | | business. Russell Crowe's affair with Meg Ryan killed |
| have opened to greater than $65 million on their | | | | the box-office for "Proof of Life." Tom Cruise's antics |
| opening weekends. Those films were "Star Wars: | | | | on Oprah had a negative effect on "MI:3," and all the |
| Episode 3," "War of the Worlds,"; "Harry Potter and | | | | press surrounding Bennifer certainly didn't help sell any |
| The Goblet of Fire," "Ice Age: The Meltdown," and | | | | Ben Affleck or Jennifer Lopez movies. However, |
| "Chronicles of Narnia." So what makes this a pretty | | | | those examples were about the talent. When the film |
| good bet to be number six? | | | | itself is controversial, press tends to help it. The people |
| Awareness is off the charts. Forty million copies of the | | | | who haven't read the book are likely to be curious as |
| book The Da Vinci Code were sold. Many were surely | | | | to what the fuss is all about. Sony is not very |
| passed along to friends. If you've been on a plane or a | | | | concerned about the bad press. In fact, its |
| train or walked along a beach in the last couple of | | | | commercials embrace it by calling "The Da Vinci Code" |
| years, it's been hard not to pass at least one person | | | | "The most controversial thriller ever." |
| reading the novel. Walk into any book store, and there | | | | There are some concerns. The film hasn't screened |
| are sections devoted to books analyzing the original | | | | yet. Not all best selling books become hit movies |
| book. And, come on, when you first read that the film | | | | (although it certainly helps to drum up interest). But, |
| was going to star Tom Hanks, wasn't your first | | | | short of a Pixar cartoon, Harry Potter and your friendly |
| thought "Too bad there was already a movie called | | | | neighborhood Spiderman, how many sure things are |
| 'The Sure Thing." | | | | there? "The Da Vinci Code" has enough going for it for |
| There is a definite lack of competition. "MI:3" and | | | | you to bet the over. |