The film was way ahead of its competitors for the third weekend in a row, taking an estimated $31.7 million over this past weekend, 12-14 March. In second place was the newly-released Secret Window, starring Johnny Depp ($19 million), with Starsky & Hutch in third place, at $16 million.

If the trend continues, the movie could equal the final takings of The Return of the King, which is set to reach about $380 million.

A tongue-in-cheek newspaper headline compared the performance of The Passion with Johnny Depp by saying, "The sexiest man alive is no match for Christ." The news agency Reuters quipped: "Moviegoers continue to render unto Mel Gibson the things that are Gibson's."

With the approach of Easter, The Passion is expected to continue to draw the crowds. While church groups have boosted audience figures, the distributors believe the movie is being watched by people who would not normally go to church.

They say: "It's a large cross-section of America. It's not just church groups going at this point. It's way beyond that."

The Passion of the Christ is released in the UK on 26 March. For more information, visit the official website.