Da Vinci Breaks Portuguese Box Office

The Da Vinci Code, based on Dan Brown's controversial best-seller, has broken box office records in Portugal, despite its largely Roman Catholic population.

The film took more than one million euros (£684,000) in its first four days, breaking local records.
The novel, which explores the theme that Jesus has living descendants, has angered the Christian community.

The film has been banned in India's northern Punjab state following an appeal by the Roman Catholic community.
A spokesman for the diocese of Jalandhar in central Punjab, Father Franco Mulakkal, said: "Fictional details attributed to Jesus Christ in the film The Da Vinci Code are highly offensive and intolerable to all Christians."
Indian censors cleared the film last week after its makers agreed to insert a legal disclaimer to say it was of a "fictitious nature".

The film, directed by Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, had its worldwide premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Wedesday 17 May. It went on to take $224m (£119m) at box offices around the world on its opening weekend, despite poor reviews.

Columbia Pictures said it was the second most successful film opening after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
However, on its opening day in France on Wednesday, the third X-Men instalment outperformed The Da Vinci Code, which is partly set in Paris.

The fantasy blockbuster, starring Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, sold 331,000 tickets in France, as opposed to the 233,000 sold on the opening day of The Da Vinci Code a week earlier.