Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 19, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The demand for showings of The Passion of The Christ is so great that 4,000 prints of the film are set to screen in 2,800 theaters on multiple screens, that’s up from an original 2,000 just one week ago, reported Icon, the film’s production company.
In fact, some theaters will begin screening Tuesday at midnight and continue to run the film 24 hours a day non-stop. As well, 800 theaters will begin screening the movie this Monday for churches that have purchased the entire house, reported Hollywood Jesus.
Bob Berney of Newmarket, the distributor of The Passion in the U.S., said the demand has been picking up in the last few days. He expects requests from more theaters and for more prints before the film opens next week, Ash Wednesday, particularly after the interview with Diane Sawyer that aired on ABC Primetime last Monday. That broadcast received the #1 rating with 17 million viewers.