Ian McKellen and Molina join Da Vinci

[Raph's Girl]

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?category=0&id=30873

Ian McKellen (X2) and Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) will star in The Da Vinci Code, Ron Howard's upcoming film adaptation of the Dan Brown best-seller, Variety reported. Akiva Goldsman wrote the script, and Brian Grazer is producing with John Calley for Sony.

Molina will play zealous Bishop Arigarosa, who's keenly interested in the sleuthing activities of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and cryptographer Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou). McKellen will play Sir Teabing, a wealthy man who acts as a resource for Langdon even as he shows his own ambitions to uncover the Holy Grail. Jean Reno also stars, the trade paper reported.

The Da Vinci Code begins production in June for a May 19, 2006, release.

[PiffDaddy]

Man, I really have to read this book... Haven't read anything since State of Fear due to the workload in college. Sounds like the makings for a grade A film though

[damnhooligan]

Hopefully between Alfred Molina, Jean Reno and Ian McKellan, they'll be able to breath some life into the script. I was pretty unimpressed with the book, and the only reason I remember anything about it is because every other person I come across these days asks me if I've read it. It read like an action flick: fast-paced, amusing but forgettable. I just don't understand everyone's fascination with it.

But I wouldn't be surprised if the movie is better than the book.