Ye Gods!!! This information comes from the Internet Movie Database, with an estimated release date of May 2005.

I would have pictured Roman Polanski directing Dan Brown's best-selling novel of theological intrigue and making it both entertaining and hauntingly mysterious.

I'm afraid that Ron Howard's poor record in the handling of sensitive, adult material (viz. A Beautiful Mind , Oscar notwithstanding) means this story will be rewritten as an industrial spying caper set in Disneyland - or perhaps as a musical with dancing nuns - or both.

What do you think?

"Next time on The Da Vinci Code...

Sophie gets a job at the Banana Stand!

Robert deals with his troubles as a never-nude!

And Carl Weathers gets his stew on!"

Carl Weathers? Ron Howard doesn't put blacks in his films unless he absolutely has too....

We need a talking pie!

I wonder if we can a Billy Blaze cameo. He seems like the kind of guy who'd work late nights at the Louve.

I hear Clint Howard is playing Sirus.

Is this a remake of Hudson Hawk?

As Alfred Hitchcock used to say (about David O. Selznick's more arcane suggestions for "Rebecca"): "Can you imaadjuhn?!"

I first heard of this a couple weeks back. I really don't care who directs The DaVinci Code - just as long as someone does!!!

Well, my first thought about this would be that IMDB is not known for its accuracy on films that are still in the planning stages, so we can't be sure any of this is true.

In any case, I have no doubt that someone will indeed make this #1 bestseller into a movie sooner or later. I read Da Vinci and thought that although the background of the story was fascinating, the actual plot and action wasn't particularly good. While reading it, I kept imagining what it would play like as a film, and it really seemed like standard Hollywood thriller stuff to me. I think that unless a really creative, thoughtful director and screenwriter comes along, this won't be very good. I don't think Howard is that director.

As for the writer, if the screenwriter really is Akiva Goldsman, scribe of Batman & Robin and Lost in Space, this news is even worse.

It's already been confirmed on Dan Brown's website. Howard's directing it.

I wonder if this really will come out in May 2005 against SW:III? Not that I think SW is still a legit contender, but still.

IMHO, I think Da Vinci Code looks more like an early November release as opposed to a summer one; of course it will make money either way, just my own .02

May 2005 seems a little early to me too. I really need to get around to reading the book. Damn hardcovers

According to this http://movies.go.com/movies/D/davincicode_2004/ and related links, Russell Crowe has been approached to star as Robert Langdon and this film is threatening to become a franchise as Dan Brown already has a title out with the same character ("Angels and Demons") and is working on a sequel to "The Da Vinci Code". So the whole thing is turning into a post-modern Indiana Jones trilogy...

I still think only a director with Polanski's credentials could make something serious out of this exciting but mainstream diversion.

Unfortunately, Dan Brown's official website doesn't offer any contact information that would allow his readers to voice their opinion and warn him of the impending disaster, i.e. the "Opie-fication" of his dark masterpiece and the definitive ix-nay on the ay-gay stuff!

But he's probably smiling enigmatically all the way to the bank. I mean, who wouldn't?

The lousy bum...

You like the Louvre? Radical! Radical!

If you haven't already, start with Angels and Demons which comes before The Da Vinci Code. I think A&D is the better book anyway.

Personally I do not like Polanski's work much and would MUCH prefer to see Ron Howard direct this than Polanski. That despite the fact that I think Beautiful Mind was a horrible movie. Just my $0.02

-Nuff

This movie will never get finished, since we know that Ron Howard is a total drunk. I can see him on the set now:
"Homer, we're out of vodka!!!"

I don't see Russel Crowe as Langdon, and just a slight correction, The Da Vinci code doesn't have a sequel. He's just using the same character for his next novel. Langdon was actually introduced in Angels & Demons which came before Da Vinci. So if anything, DVC is already the sequel. I guess the IJ comparison is valid since each of the movies don't have anything to do with each other aside from having the same hero.

If they ever do A&D though, no one else can play Vittoria but Monica Belucci.

True. Langdon is basically Dan Brown's "Jack Ryan." A&D was awesome. i liked it in some ways better than DVC.

Will the movies have the title "Robert Langdon and the _____" as their titles if they get turned into a franchise?

Thanks for the recommendation, i might just do that.

Ohhh GOODD, I hope not. Give it to a guy who has a little "edge" for this project, not the boring goody two shoes Ron Howard. The guy is an average director at best.

of course opie is directing it.
it's high profile and mainstream.

I would like to see carl weathers get his stew on in it, though.

I need to voice a dissenting opinion to those recommending other Dan Brown books.

I think that "Angels and Demons" is an absolutely terrible book and I wouldn't waste a minute on it. In fact, all of Dan Brown's work before DaVinci Code is pretty much second rate and a waste of time.

I'll charitably chalk up these works as attempts to "find his voice" because I really enjoyed DaVinci Code and can't believe it came from the same writer.

He'll push more buttons than a chimp in a 747 cockpit.