Gibson film gets wider US release

The Passion of The Christ is released on Ash Wednesday

Mel Gibson's controversial The Passion of the Christ will appear in more cinemas in the US, putting it on a par with major Hollywood releases.

Distributor Newmarket Films is increasing the number of prints from 2,500 to 4,000 and 2,800 cinemas across North America will now show the film.

Tickets are also selling strongly in advance of its US release on Wednesday.

Gibson, who directed and produced the film, has denied accusations from Jewish leaders that it is anti-Semitic.

Online ticket service Fandango said The Passion, which depicts the last 12 hours of Christ's life, was making up nearly 70% of its advance sales.

Advance sales

Fandango said it has become its second-biggest film in terms of advance sales, below current box office smash The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Why The Passion has aroused controversy

The Passion's release puts it on a par with hits like Something's Gotta Give, which opened at 2,677 cinemas in December.

But it is still behind films like The Return of the King, which made its debut at 3,703 cinemas over Christmas, and the current box office number one, 50 First Dates, which opened at 3,591 screens.

Rick King, of US cinema chain AMC, said the film would play in up to 180 of its 219 sites, and that the film's popularity could last.

"The last couple of religious theme pictures have played a very long time in theatres," he said.

Gibson has directed The Passion of the Christ as a personal project, investing $30m (£16m) of his own money in to it. He screened it to many church leaders and Christian groups, including TV evangelists, to help market the film by word of mouth.

But Jewish groups have accused the film of provoking anti-Semitism saying it blames the crucifixion of Christ entirely on the Jews.

Holocaust

Meanwhile, Mel Gibson's father said the Holocaust was mostly "fiction" in a radio interview to be broadcast on Monday.

Hutton Gibson - who follows a particular strand of Catholicism which believes in a conspiracy between Jews and Masons to take over the Catholic Church - said: "It's all - maybe not all fiction - but most of it is," when asked about the Holocaust.

He was speaking to presenter Steve Feuerstein of the small Talkline Communications Network.

Mel Gibson's spokesman declined to comment on the interview, but in the past, the actor has said he loves his father and will not speak against him.