Gibson earns millions from Passion

Mel Gibson has earned a staggering $414m (€312.4m) from his controversial pet project The Passion of the Christ.

Gibson's earnings are likely to increase with DVD and pay-per-view television sales of the film, which was only released in American cinemas in February, before going on to be screened around the world.

Movie analyst Tim Briody says: "It's the all-time highest grosser of a film not released in the summer or holidays."

The movie, which documents Jesus Christ's final hours on earth, profited from a publicity storm whipped up before its release. Some critics criticised its graphic violence, while others branded it anti-Semitic.