STILL NO DISTRIBUTOR for Mel Gibson's The Passion outside Australia. This article from MSNBC discusses the things that are putting the distributors off and evaluates some facile comparisons to the release of The Last Temptation of Christ. It concludes:

The top contender now appears to be Newmarket, which released �Memento.� They have made a formal bid, but will not confirm if they have seen the film. Two higher-profile independents, Lions Gate and Miramax, have expressed interest in the film and have asked to see it. They have yet to be invited. The film could prove problematic for Miramax, as its parent company, Disney, dislikes controversy.

Gibson�s camp would not comment about the potential sale, beyond saying it could happen in the �near term.� It�s possible, though remotely, that Icon, which distributes most of Gibson�s films in the U.K. and Australia, may opt to put �The Passion� in U.S. theaters itself. Meanwhile, the press surrounding the film�in particular a New Yorker profile that delineated Gibson�s rigid religious beliefs�has done some damage to his reputation. While he remains one of the most bankable stars in history, his occasionally strident public statements have not played well in an industry predominantly liberal and significantly Jewish. �People think Mel�s crazy now,� says one top producer. Adds a studio head, �People feel like his character in �Lethal Weapon� isn�t that far from who he is. It�s like, �Wow, he�s way out on a limb�.� We should know very shortly who�s going to get out there with him.

Slow news day.