Bet on Apocalypto's opening weekend gross

NEW YORK – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The jury is out on whether people will respond favorably to Mel Gibson's latest controversial project, Apocalypto, which will release on December 8. After Gibson's recent run-in with the law and distasteful anti-Semitic remarks, disgruntled moviegoers may opt to boycott the film and threaten its box office success. Sportsbook.com, the world's largest online sportsbook and casino, has posted odds on the opening weekend gross for Gibson's Mayan adventure, setting over/under odds on the film generating $13.5 million in its first weekend.

Apocalypto takes place during the fading times of the once prosperous Mayan civilization before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. While his tranquil village is being ravaged by Mayan warlords the films hero, Jaguar Paw, has just enough time to hide his family before he is captured and led to the Mayan metropolis where he and the rest of his captures await a horrific sacrificial fate. In a desperate attempt to escape, Jaguar Paw must flee for his life from the bloodthirsty Mayans to rescue what matters most, his family and way of life.

Apocalypto is directed, written, and produced by Gibson as well as Bruce Davey and Farhad Safinia. The film features a virtually unknown cast of actors hailing from Mexico, Southern California, New Mexico, Canada, and other parts of Central America.