Friday, October 3, 2003
Associated Press

TRIO CRACKS CODE

Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman to collaborate on Da Vinci Code for Sony.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is reuniting the Oscar-winning team behind A Beautiful Mind to crack The Da Vinci Code. Ron Howard will direct, Brian Grazer will produce and Akiva Goldsman will adapt the Dan Brown novel for the big screen, with Sony Pictures chairman-CEO John Calley likely to make the film his first producing gig once he relinquishes his studio duties this fall. Grazer and Howard's Imagine Entertainment will produce with Calley.

The story concerns various clues that are hidden in different Leonardo Da Vinci paintings. When put together, the clues will unlock secrets that get to the core and meaning of Christianity. Sony's Columbia Pictures picked up the rights to Code and other Brown books back in June. Since being published, the book has spent 26 weeks on the national bestseller list, much of that time at No. 1.

Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are currently collaborating on Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe. Da Vinci will likely be Howard's next project after Cinderella. The CAA-repped helmer most recently directed The Missing, which Sony will release in mid-November, and he will receive a producing credit on The Alamo, which Touchstone will release on Christmas Day.

Grazer currently has several films in production through Imagine. He's now working on Fun With Dick and Jane and The Incredible Shrinking Man, both for Sony Pictures.

Goldsman most recent penned I, Robot, which 20th Century Fox will release next summer.