DAVINCI CODE RAKES IN THE CASH

Final May 19-21 numbers have come in for The Da Vinci Code: a $231.8 million worldwide opening, making it the 2nd biggest ever -- $154.7 mil international, $77.1 mil domestic. Sony is saying it was #1 in every territory it opened.

This should make Hollywood denizens happy: News reports say bootleg DVDs of The Da Vinci Code were on sale for 5 yuan ($.60) all over Shanghai today, but the camera work on the pirated copies was so horrendous it showed people walking in front of the cinema screen and had sounds of someone drinking a soda.

Meanwhile, on Monday night, Jay Leno wisecracked that The Da Vinci Code's new nickname was "The Passion of the Cash." That will be true for its star Tom Hanks, who had a contractual agreement to be paid based on the "first-dollar average" i.e. opening weekend revenue projection total. It is estimated that he will clear over $50 million for his role. Hollywood will obviously start making more controversial religious films as the Davinci Code opening was only surpassed by Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ," which made more than a billion dollars worldwide and made Mel a butload of his own money.

Tsk, tsk, using the Lord's name in vain ought to be a sin.