'Da Vinci' proves to be big draw in domestic, foreign film markets

Published: 2006-06-20

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The underlying premise of "The Da Vinci Code" may be false, but the film's box-office numbers don't lie. "The Da Vinci Code" has proved to be a formidable movie in both U.S. and international film markets. The film -- starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou and directed by Ron Howard -- is based on the Dan Brown novel that contends Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and fathered a child. It portrays Opus Dei as a secretive church cult that is plotting to take over the church. It finished atop the U.S. box office derby its first weekend of release, claiming one of the best nationwide month-of-May film openings of all time, with $77 million in receipts. Overseas, "The Da Vinci Code" opened with the second-best foreign debut in box-office history, according to The Washington Post. It continued strongly, finishing atop the worldwide box office each of its first five weeks. Close to 71 percent of the overall $678.5 million box office for "The Da Vinci Code" has come from the international market.

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