'The Passion of the Christ' DVD will make Gibson even richer
By David Hiltbrand
Knight Ridder
If, as the Bible says, it is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, Mel Gibson is in for a very tough afterlife.
With "The Passion of the Christ" due out on DVD and VHS on Aug. 31, Gibson is poised to reap a second immense fortune from his controversial film about the final hours of Jesus.
"It's safe to say Gibson will reap the most money any one person ever has from a single movie," says Brandon Gray, president of the film-tracking firm boxofficemojo.com.
Since its theatrical release in February, the film, with Jim Caviezel in the title role, has earned at least $609 million worldwide.
Because "Passion" was essentially self-produced, Gibson's take has been estimated at more than $200 million. In light of that windfall, Forbes magazine recently declared him the world's most powerful celebrity.
Now, DVD sales are expected to boost Gibson's personal profits above $400 million.
Its religious constituency is expected to supercharge sales.
"I'm sure that most of the evangelical churches in the country will buy at least one copy for their libraries," says Bob Waliszewski, entertainment specialist at Focus on the Family, an influential Christian ministry based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The suggested retail price is $29.98 for DVD, $24.98 for VHS. The initial release contains only the film with no bonus features.
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