Jump to content

The Da Vinci Code (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 67.189.95.53 (talk) at 01:47, 22 April 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:Future film

For the novel upon which this film was based, see The Da Vinci Code.
The Da Vinci Code
File:The da vinci code.jpg
Seek the truth
Directed byRon Howard
Written byDan Brown (novel)
Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)
Produced byBrian Grazer
StarringTom Hanks
Audrey Tautou
Sir Ian McKellen
Jean Reno
Alfred Molina
Paul Bettany
CinematographySalvatore Totino
Edited byDaniel P. Hanley
Mike Hill
Music byHans Zimmer
Distributed bySony
Release dates
May 19, 2006
LanguageEnglish
Budget$125 million [1]

The Da Vinci Code is a movie based on the novel by Dan Brown, scheduled for release on May 19, 2006, with an opening screening on 17 May at the Cannes Film Festival. It is directed by Ron Howard.

The film rights were purchased from Dan Brown for US$6,000,000. Filming had been scheduled to start in May 2005; however, some delays caused filming to begin on June 30 2005.

Permission to film on the premises has been granted to the film by the Louvre, while Westminster Abbey has denied the use of its premises, as has Saint-Sulpice. Lincoln Cathedral belonging to the Church of England, however, has agreed to act as a substitute for Westminster Abbey, and has reportedly received £100,000 in exchange for the right to film there. Filming at Lincoln Cathedral has taken place in August 2005. Filming has also taken place at Temple Church in London.

The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has expressed concern about Silas' character giving albinos a bad name. It would seem from images of Silas seen in the trailer for the film that the filmmakers have decided not to change his appearance.

The film is rated PG-13.

Tagline: Seek The Truth

Cast

File:Picsony2006-15.jpg
Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu & Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon

Marketing Campaign

The film's teaser trailer was released on the summer of 2005, a full year before the film's worldwide release. It was released before a single frame of the movie had been shot. It features crevices with some hidden symbols and was later revealed as an image of Da Vinci's famous painting, the Mona Lisa.

Some have speculated that the Dan Brown's court case against Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent, the authors of the non-fiction book Holy Blood, Holy Grail is part of the film's publicity.

Reactions from around the world

To be banned in the Philippines?

On April 18, 2006, an anti-pornography group from the Philippines is asking the government to ban the upcoming movie as well as the Dan Brown books in this predominantly Catholic country. Stating that allowing "the most pornographic and blasphemous film in history" to be shown would "break" the Christian faith around the world, the Philippine Alliance Against Pornography Inc. (PAAP) said the Philippine President should order the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Customs to confiscate and destroy master copies of the film. Because of the film's premise, PAAP spokesman Filomeno said the book’s film version is considered unconstitutional, illegal and immoral. The PAAP also appealed to Pope Benedict XVI, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and other religious groups to help in stopping the showing of the controversial film.


Philippine movie regulators were under mounting pressure to ban the public screening of the controversial film. The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has yet to decide on the petition to stop the public screening of the movie.

Ratings

MPAA: PG-13 for Disturbing Images, Some Nudity, Thematic Material, Brief Drug References and Sexual Content.

Opus Dei's Reaction

Petition to edit the film

Stating that it does not intend to organize any boycotts, Opus Dei (The Catholic organization that is featured prominently in the novel) released a statement on February 14, 2006 that asked Sony Pictures to consider editing the soon-to-be-released film based on Dan Brown’s bestseller, so that it would not contain references that might be hurtful to Catholics. The statement also said Brown’s book offers a “deformed” image of the church and that Opus Dei will use the opportunity of the movie’s release to educate about the church.


'Da Vinci Code' Disclaimer

On Easter Sunday 2006, Opus Dei published an open letter on their website requesting that Sony Pictures should include a disclaimer on the film adaptation as a mark of respect towards the Catholic Church. The organization also encouraged the Hollywood studio to clearly label the movie as fictitious "and that any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence."

Reply by Catholic bishops

US Catholic bishops launched a website refuting the key claims in the novel that is about to be brought to the screen. The bishops are concerned about errors and serious mis-statements in the Da Vinci Code.

Promotional puzzles

Template:Spoiler As part of the lead up to the movie, various encrypted clues are being placed in movie trailers and interviews. In mid-April, two such clues appeared in the Da Vinci Code interviews on Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, as highlighted letters in the names of interviewees. There is also a "Google Da Vinci Code Quest" series of 30 small puzzles that began on April 17th, though it is yet unclear whether this is related to the interview clues.[2]

Trivia

  • Julie Delpy and Kate Beckinsale were two of the original actresses considered for the role of Sophie.
  • Since the crew was not permitted to shine light on the Mona Lisa, a replica was used to film instead.
  • The 61-year-old Roman Catholic nun Sister Mary Michael from Our Lady's Community of Peace and Mercy in Lincoln spent 12 hours praying on her knees outside Lincoln Cathedral in protest against what she sees as the blasphemous use of a holy place to film a book which she considers to contain heresy.[3],[4],[5].
  • Lincoln Cathedral's bell "Great Tom" which strikes the hour was silent for the first time since World War II while filming took place in the cathedral between 15 and 19 August 2005.
  • Near the end of the trailer of the film, the word "Seek" is highlighted, along with the letters T, H, S, E, C, D, E, and O. It has been rumoured that this may be an anagram meaning "Seek The Codes". If one is to go to http://www.seekthecodes.com/, one finds a blog, run by Sony Pictures and shows posts which will most likely lead to another Da Vinci Code Hunt. The person allegedly running the site is called "Lisa S." This is not only a reference to the book and the Mona Lisa, but the letters can be rearranged to spell "Silas," the character. Wilder speculation has tied Lisa S. to a personality known as "Galaxy Girlz".

Filming The Da Vinci Code

As well as shooting on location in France, London and Germany the filmmakers shot many of the internal scenes at Pinewood Studios. The films opening sequence was filmed in the cavernous “Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage” at Pinewood Studio where the interior of the famous Louvre gallery was recreated, away from the priceless paintings in the actual Louvre gallery in France.

In the films opening sequence Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, discovers a body in the Louvre gallery. David White of Altered States FX, a prosthetics and special makeup effects company which is based at London's Shepperton Studios was tasked with creating a naked photo real silicone body for the scene.

Pinewoods’ state of the art Underwater Stage was used to film underwater sequences. The stage opened in 2005 after four years of planning and development. The stage created excellent underwater filming conditions that allowed the filmmakers to achieve some very impressive results that feature in the trailer for the film that is released on May 19th. The water in the tank is filtrated using an ultra violet system which creates crystal clear water and a comfortable environment to work in for both cast and crew. The tank is permanently filled and the water is maintained at 22 degrees C (72 degrees F).


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Da_Vinci_Code_(film)&oldid=49532433"