This time the most recent stories go at the top, and the older ones are further down. If I come across any more noteworthy stories about The Da Vinci Code in the immediate future, I’ll probably just add them to this list, rather than start a new post.
- Pakistani Islamists get ready to bash Da Vinci Code
Pakistan’s Islamist parties will hold nationwide demonstrations against “The Da Vinci Code” later this week, to protest the film’s “offensive” alternative take on the story of Jesus Christ, an opposition lawmaker said on Monday.
Reuters, May 22 - Pirated “Da Vinci Code” hits China streets
Bootleg DVDs of “The Da Vinci Code” were on sale all over Shanghai on Monday, days after China pipped Cannes by hours with the world premier of the movie.
Reuters, May 22 - Da Vinci Code breaks Italy box office records
“The Da Vinci Code” has broken box office records in Roman Catholic Italy as tens of thousands of Italians ignored Vatican calls to boycott the film.
The movie adaptation of Dan Brown’s bestseller earned 2 million euros ($2.6 million) on its opening night, nearly double the takings of Italy’s previous top film, Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni’s 1997 tragi-comic Holocaust drama “Life is Beautiful.”
Reuters, May 21 - Crowds, protests expected as ‘Da Vinci Code’ opens
Moviegoers, shrugging off a burst of negative reviews, were expected to flock to Friday’s opening of the religious thriller “The Da Vinci Code” as some Catholics vowed coast-to-coast protests against the film.
The upbeat commercial outlook for the movie, adapted from Dan Brown’s best-selling novel, hinged on advance ticket sales and an assumption that many of the more than 40 million people who bought the book are eager to see the film, regardless of what critics think.
Moreover, the film, directed by Ron Howard, has generated a level of publicity and media hype unseen since Mel Gibson’s blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ” arrived in theaters two years ago.
Reuters, May 19 - The Best Albino Code
“The Da Vinci Code” is causing protests. But it’s not just the religious themes that are causing a stir. Albino leaders are reportedly angry because the albino character in the movie is a murderous villain, a stereotype they claim is all too common is Hollywood thrillers. Meet Victor Varnado. He’s a real albino. . . . And he almost got cast in “The Da Vinci Code.”
CourtTV.com, May 19 - ‘Da Vinci Code’ Film Softens Novel
While it will still offend some Christians, it turns out that the movie version of “The Da Vinci Code” subtly softens some of the religiously disputed aspects of Dan Brown’s novel.
The film still centers on a Jesus-Mary Magdalene marriage that’s nowhere to be found in the New Testament, which will rankle some believers, yet it also includes some skepticism toward characters’ claims that cut against traditional Christianity.
An early clue that the film is trying a different tack from the novel comes when it omits the book’s thesis: “Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.” The script instead turns that concept into a question: “What if the world discovers the greatest story ever told is a lie?”
Associated Press, May 18 - Da Vinci Code reviews “frustrating,” says director
“Frustrating” was how director Ron Howard described the overwhelmingly negative reviews of his eagerly awaited movie “The Da Vinci Code,” but he believed the news was not all bad.
Reuters, May 18 - Manila Bans, India Clears ‘Da Vinci Code’
China’s official Catholic Church urged its followers to boycott “The Da Vinci Code” on Thursday, and the City Council in the Philippine capital banned the movie as viewers across Asia got a first glimpse of the film that suggests Jesus married and fathered a child.
The Indian censor board cleared the movie without any cuts, but required a disclaimer and insisted that it be shown to adults only. Meanwhile, a small group of protesters in Seoul, South Korea, marched outside theaters with signs that said “`The Da Vinci Code’ is nothing more than fiction.”
The Columbia Pictures release, based on the best-selling Dan Brown novel, wasn’t expected to generate a wide backlash in Asia, where Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are the dominant faiths.
Associated Press, May 18 - Big crowds await “Da Vinci Code” despite reviews
First reviews for “The Da Vinci Code” may be mostly scathing, but box office experts say they expect the Mona Lisa to keep smiling all the way to the bank this weekend.
The experts say the religious-themed thriller can expect to haul in between $50 million and $80 million, when it opens domestically on Friday — more than enough to compensate for the laughter, jeers and sneers it received when shown to critics at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
Associated Press, May 18 - China pips Cannes with “Da Vinci Code” premiere
China, in dispute with the Vatican over its appointment of bishops without papal approval, hosted a premiere of “The Da Vinci Code” hours before the gala opening at Cannes, Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.
Reuters, May 18 - ‘Da Vinci’ Opens Amid Hoopla and Rage
The director huffed, offended believers protested and the critics carped as “The Da Vinci Code” premiered and started its march around the world Wednesday.
Ron Howard, who adapted Dan Brown’s worldwide megaselling novel to the big screen, had a suggestion Wednesday for people riled by the way Christian history is depicted in the film: If you suspect the movie will upset you, don’t go see it.
Associated Press, May 17 - The Da Vinci Code secret is out: critics hate it
Ian McKellen, an openly gay actor who plays Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code, sought to make light of the controversy.
“I’m very happy to believe that Jesus was married,” he said. “I know the Catholic Church has problems with gay people and I thought this would be absolute proof that Jesus was not gay.”
Reuters, May 17 - Beijing First to See ‘Da Vinci Code’
A Beijing audience became the first to see “The Da Vinci Code” when it was shown here Wednesday, beating the official Cannes premiere by hours in a move that underscored Hollywood’s efforts to woo Chinese viewers.
Associated Press, May 17 - Thai appeal restores “Da Vinci Code” cuts
Thais will be able to see the unexpurgated version of the controversial movie “The Da Vinci Code” after a successful appeal on Wednesday against a censor’s order that the last 10 minutes be sliced off.
Reuters, May 17 - Christian Leaders Denounce ‘Da Vinci Code’
Christians in Asia are particularly worried about the movie because they believe it could threaten a religion that is already a minority in many countries.
“If Jesus Christ had a child and a wife, then Christianity would be destroyed,” said Thongchai Pradabchananurat, of the Thailand Protestant Churches Coordinating Committee.
A coalition of Christian groups in Thailand, which is more than 90 percent Buddhist and less than 1 percent Christian, demanded that censors cut the last 15 minutes of the movie, which reveal that Jesus’ lineage has survived to this day.
Associated Press, May 17
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