The Da Vinci Code (2006)
- During the filming of The Da Vinci Code, Tom Hanks improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
- Before Tom Hanks was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Ron Howard's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 American mystery thriller directed by Ron Howard, based on Dan Brown's phenomenally bestselling 2003 novel. Tom Hanks stars as Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist who is summoned to the Louvre Museum when the museum's curator is murdered and discovered arranged in a pose mimicking Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, surrounded by cryptic symbols. Together with French cryptologist Sophie Neveu, played by Audrey Tautou, Langdon follows a trail of clues hidden in Da Vinci's artworks that lead to a secret protected by an ancient society for two thousand years — a secret that, if revealed, could shake the foundations of Christianity.
The Da Vinci Code was one of the most anticipated film adaptations of the decade, arriving after the novel had sold over 60 million copies and sparked worldwide controversy for its claims about the Catholic Church, the Holy Grail, and the historical Jesus. Ron Howard's faithful adaptation brought Brown's puzzles and locations to vivid life, with filming at the actual Louvre, Westminster Abbey, and various European locations. The Catholic Church and other religious organizations condemned the film, and protests occurred at theaters worldwide.
Ian McKellen's performance as the eccentric Grail scholar Sir Leigh Teabing was the film's most entertaining element. Despite predominantly negative reviews, The Da Vinci Code earned $760 million worldwide, proving that the novel's built-in audience would turn out regardless of critical opinion.
