I was looking over the Weekend estimates and The Passion fell from 1st to 9th and lost 72% from last week, isn't that some sort of record for longest drop for 1st? I know *NEW* films during the summer can open 1st and drop to 5th or 6th, but this is a HUGE drop.

I thought that Hulk dropped 73%.

I somehow doubt that Newmarket or Icon are sweating it.

I don't think the drop is any big deal considering the movie's previous #1 position was already a rebound from a lower position. It had to do with last week being Easter, so it's understandable that it came back down.

It went from #5 to #1 to #9. The main reason of course was the easter weekend and well.. I'm sure folks were all religion-ed out by the next week.

I imagine that is the explaination but it still doesn't answer the original question.

I doubt anyone really keeps track of a movie in it's 8th week and how much it drops.

It may be, depending on actuals. Hulk dropped 69.7% in it's second weekend ($62 to $18mil). Of course in perspective, Passions weekend take increased 45% from the previous weekend with the Easter boost. If you look at the weekly drops without a non-Easter bump and a hypothetical 40% drop (based on it's previuos weekly performances), this week's total seems to be on par:

week1: $83.8 mil
week2: $53.2 mil -36%
week3: $32.1 mil -39%
week4: $19.4 mil -39%
week5: $12.6 mil -35%
week6: $10.6 mil -15%
week7: $6.3 mil -40% (hypothetical) $15mil +43% (actual)
week8: $4.2mil -30% (actual -72%)

The Easter weekend was a one-shot deal and now it's back on course with it's weekly decline.

That seems to make sense. Don't see how it will hit $400 mil though.

The studio said they want to keep it in theaters throughout the summer and then re-release it during Christmas. I hope at the very least it passes LotR:RotK.

but it may indeed beat LOTR:ROTK

Yeah, I think it'll beat ROTK but not by much. Wow, this doesn't seem like the kind of film people would rush out to see on Christmas. I mean, besides the Jesus thing of course, it's not exactly a feel-good movie you'd want see during the Holidays. However if they keep it running through the summer it probably will hit $400 then.

I was sort of wondering the opposite - whether a jump from #5 to #1 is some type of record.

Good point, though that's also taking into account the unusual Easter bump. It's pretty rare for a movie that doesn't open at #1 in wide release to ever hold the top spot. There's Somthing About Mary became #1 after 9 weeks I believe, but it was at #2 already the previous weekend.

There have been bigger jumps, in situations where a film goes from limited to wide release.

I don't see how the studio could keep it in the theater way into the summer. If people are finished watching it, theaters will pull it because they can make more money showing other movies in its place. They may reduce it to one showing a week is the only way i can see it still making enough $$$ to warrent keeping it.