Its got the 12th highest three day gross since they've been tracking box office and you think that that is bad?
I don't think anyone is saying it won't be a big hit. Just that it won't have any shelf life. It's more like PEARL HARBOR than PASSION OF THE CHRIST, the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, HARRY POTTER films, or STAR WARS franchise films. It's a movie sold on hype with no substance underneath it. It'll do huge business for a week or two, then fade as people realize the emporer has no clothes. But those two weeks will be enough to make it a profitable, big hit.
It'll be eclipsed by the end of summer by two or three summer blockbusters and all but forgotten next year. If it's remembered at all, it'll be in the same vein as PEARL HARBOR, e.g., people expressing amazement that hype alone could push a movie that high in box office.
Also, regarding DA VINCI's three day gross, remember that inflation pushes hit films higher and higher each year. That's why so many of the top box office films of all time are from the past few years. Taking inflation into account changes things considerably. That's why it's failure to match the debut of PASSION OF THE CHRIST is so telling, and I agree with those here who have said that was a disappointment to those pushing the film.
Here's a passage from BoxOfficeGuru regarding THE DA VINCI CODE that makes a lot of sense:
#####The road ahead will not be easy. The Memorial Day holiday weekend will certainly help give Da Vinci a solid second weekend. However, with so many fans of the book rushing theaters immediately to see the film, it may have already burned through much of its total audience. Code dipped 6% on Saturday from its opening Friday which is not too surprising given the upfront demand and media hysteria. But it does not necessarily indicate that the fan base is growing. Word-of-mouth will now be the main factor affecting future sales. The Yahoo Movies average grade from over 13,000 users is a not-so-impressive B-....####
So while DA VINCI is clearly a solid hit, it's shelf life will likely not be anywhere in the league of PASSION OF THE CHRIST or a STAR WARS franchise flick. Remember that Yahoo Movies grades are from movie fans, and a B- is pretty bad from an audience pre-inclined to like the movie. In short, we won't be looking back at THE DA VINCI CODE in future years in admiration of a beloved classic film. It'll just be reminder of the power of hype.
Good grief, marajade, the point I'm making is pretty simple but I'll try to break it down further:
Bottom line is that context matters, and I'm absolutely confident that the powers behind this movie are disappointed and scratching their heads at what went wrong. Yes, it did a lot of money, but rest assured they expected it to do far more.
MM