Gibson's "Passion" Sells 2.4 Copies Before Lunch

Fox Home Entertainment announced that shipments of Mel Gibson's latest DVD, "The Passion of the Christ," which went on sale Tuesday, are running 20 percent ahead of projections; Consumer sales topped 2.4 million copies by lunchtime on the West Coast alone

According to Reuters, Fox's initial DVD and VHS cassette sales of "Passion" to retail outlets totaled 15 million units, but it seems interest in Gibson's project only increased in the months it has been out of theaters.

"It certainly went like hot cakes to the retailers," said Scott Hettrick, editor in chief of the monthly trade magazine DVD Exclusive. Hettrick also stated that merchants were bulk shipping the DVD in multiples of 50 to church groups.

Hettrick predicted that consumer DVD sales of "Passion" would ultimately reach the vicinity of 15 million to 18 million copies, generating as much as $400 million in receipts.

According to Reuters, the film made $610 million in ticket sales world-wide, making it the year's third-highest-grossing movie behind "Shrek 2" and "Spider-Man 2."

But with 2.4 million copies sold before lunchtime, there's no telling how many copies will fly of of the shelves over the three-day weekend...