Newmarket makes new 'Passion' play

Less-violent version to unspool for squeamish

By MICHAEL FLEMING
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111791 ... id=13&cs=1

Mel Gibson has made a new cut of his film "The Passion of the Christ," trimming five to six minutes of violent scenes. The new version, "The Passion Recut," will go out on 500-750 screens by Newmarket Films beginning March 11.

The new cut will be unrated. Gibson showed a preliminary version of this version to the ratings board. When it became clear he would still receive an R rating, which his original film bore, Gibson decided that would defeat his purpose.

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"There are no new scenes, and the cuts are limited to the more violent aspects of the film, if that's the right term," said Bruce DaveyBruce Davey, Gibson's partner in Icon Prods. "The scourging scene in particular has been substantially adjusted.

"There has been quite a demand by the religious community to bring (the film) back for Easter. And there has been a lot of discussion about the violence. Mel wanted to try and accommodate those people by making a version that is softer and gentler. Hopefully those people will come and see it, particularly the younger audience."

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Pic is expected to run through Easter weekend, and Davey said that this might become a perennial release.

"The original thinking behind making a recut version was that it could be an evergreen kind of film that would be re-released through Easter weekend," Davey said. "If the demand is there, why not?"

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And so it is, just like it should be hey? :wink:

7 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King NL $377,027,325 2003
8 Spider-Man 2 Sony $373,585,825 2004
9 The Passion of the Christ NM $370,274,604 2004

Prediction
Opening: $4.5M
Total for the 3 weeks: $10M.

And then it'll outgross Star Wars in 20 years or what? :???:

Wow, this is a surprise. I like the movie, it's #11 of the year at the moment, but come on! It doesn't need to be rereleased again.

I think there is a demand for it due to the religious context/content. I will not be seeing it again, as I saw it in theaters twice, but I am certain it will make a fair amount of money.

Opening: $2.5 million/Total: $7 million (enough to pass RoTK)

Can't people just buy the movie?

its all about the money!

it will definetly pass RotK

People can just see it on DVD. This is a non-rated version. So people won't know what to expect. This will only make money Easter weekend. After Easter it will die. So basically it will have a 3-week run. If it runs after Easter weekend it will fall 70-80%.

yep!, im actually happy about that! \:D/

It would have passed ROTK if it hadn't fallen over 70% post-Easter weekend. I really wanted it to pass ROTK and now it has a chance. What is a perennial release?

thats the movie will last for many years or something like that!

I like that they're toning down the movie. I'm a Christian and I go to church every week, but I never saw the Passion because I do not like gory stuff. I hope to see it!

Whats the point though, youre seeing a film that EVERYBODY saw last year, but your only allowed to see the 97% complete version...weird.

Anyway, im very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very glad its coming back out, if not to only beat rotk :razz:

So it will stay in theaters for years and not leave theaters?

i dont know, maybe...... or maybe it will be released every easter weekend

I don't know if are talking to me or not. I didn't say I wasn't allowed to, but I just didn't want to. I am not a fan of blood and gore in movies, so this version will most likely be better for me.

I saw Passion in the theathers, but I don't think I would go again to see the cut version... Mayve the uncut, but I highly doubt it. I rarely watch films twice in the theatre. They have to be really good...

w00 h00! another $30 mill for POTC so it can reach the $400mill mark.

sorry............
............................. \:D/ ...... ..... :wink:

If this movie by any chance crosses $400 million, it'll be the least deserving film to do so.

Because the story of Jesus Christ is nothing compared to Shrek 2, or Star Wars: Episode 1, right? :wink:

Oh sorry, the 2nd least deserving (it wasn't good, but EPISODE I was horrible)

And I don't really care who the movie is about if it's not very well-done

I think it will do something like:

Weekend 1: 2.5m
Weekend 2: 2m
Easter weekend: 4m

Including weekdays it should get about 11m