AceShowbiz -

Though not as phenomenal as "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" in drawing big bucks, "The Da Vinci Code" turns out to score a point above the seafaring tale.

Regardless of rough criticisms and bans in several countries, this latest work of Ron Howard delightfully has been selected as the Most Profitable Film of the Year by Monterey, California-based Kagan Research. It reported that while "Da Vinci" scores nearly $200 million less than "Dead Man's Chest", which has already gained domestic income of more than $410 million, it was made at $75 million lower than the Disney's flick and had a far lower marketing budget.

Still comparing the two movies, Kagan also has made conclusion that revenue for "Da Vinci" will be 3.2 times its cost to produce and market, while "Dead Man's Chest"will be 3.1 times its costs. Based on the examination, it thereby is reasonable that the analyst firm ultimately casts its pick on the Columbia Pictures production instead.

Opened in theaters last May, "The Da Vinci Code" is an adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel of the same title and presents stellar cast which includes Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, and Paul Bettany. The movie recently landed the fourth spot on Top Moneymakers of Summer 2006 list issued by Exhibitor Relations.