Trivia / The Da Vinci Code

• Actor-Inspired Element: Ian McKellen came up with a backstory for Leigh Teabing, and some of what he came up with was used in the art design of his house. Among them is a portrait of his widow.
• All-Star Cast: Most of the characters in the film are played by recognizable actors such as Tom Hanks, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Ian McKellen, Jürgen Prochnow and, for France, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno and Jean-Pierre Marielle.
• Banned in China: The film was banned in a number of countries, including, Syria, Belarus and Lebanon. In Jordan, authorities banned the film claiming it "tarnishes the memory of Christian and Islamic figures and contradicts the truth as written in the Bible and the Quran about Jesus". In Iran, it was banned due to protests by Muslims and Christian minorities.
  • Although the film was passed by Chinese censors, it was abruptly removed by authorities from public view in mainland China, after "a remarkable run in China, grossing over $13 million", because of protests by Chinese Catholic groups.
  • Both the book and the film were banned in Egypt due to pressure from Coptic Christians. Some Muslims compared the film to the Danish cartoons that had caused controversy earlier that year. Hafez Abu Saeda, of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, said, "This violates freedom of thought and belief..... This is fiction. It's art, and it should be regarded as art".
  • Pakistan banned the film for showing what officials called blasphemous material about Jesus. Christian groups, along with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, held protests against the film calling for a global ban.
  • The film was banned outright in the Independent State of Samoa after church leaders watching a pre-release showing filed a complaint with film censors.
  • Sri Lanka also banned the film from being released. It was banned by presidential order of Mahinda Rajapakse after the Catholic Bishops Conference made an appeal through an epistle.
  • While not banned throughout the Philippines (it was given an R-18 rating by the Movie and Television Classification Board, a move which proved to be just as controversial), it was banned in the city of Manila per a decree by city councillors who labelled it "offensive and contrary to established religious beliefs which cannot take precedence over the right of the persons involved in the film to freedom of expression." Not that it kept people from purchasing (bootleg) copies in neighbouring cities though. SM Supermalls, the largest shopping mall chain in the Philippines, also issued a similar ban prohibiting its theatres from showing the film, though other theatre chains such as Robinsons Malls Movieworld, Gaisano Cinemas, Ayala Malls Cinemas and Glorietta Cinemas did show the film.
• California Doubling: Although some filming was done inside the Louvre, the museum refused to allow blood or mysterious writing on the floor. So those shots were done at Pinewood Studios in England. Additionally with replicas of the Mona Lisa, which was not allowed to have a light shined on it.
• Fake Nationality: British Paul Bettany and Alfred Molina play Silas (a man French by birth and raised in Spain) and Aringarosa (a Spaniard) respectively.
• Money, Dear Boy: Tom Hanks is frank about the fact that the Langdon films were pure commercial projects and that they only stopped making them because the third one didn't make enough money.
• Multiple Languages, Same Voice Actor: Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno and Jean Pierre Marielle dubbed their voices in European French and Canadian French.
• Real-Life Relative: Cheryl Howard, the director's wife, is an audience member at Robert's lecture. Seth Gabel, who plays the reporter interviewing Aringarosa in his first scene, is director Ron Howard's son-in-law.
• Tourist Bump: The book increased the popularity of the Louvre, the Temple Church and Rosslyn Chapel.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Dan Brown was initially approached with adapting the book into a 24-style mini-series.
  • Bill Paxton was the first choice for Robert Langdon, but he was committed to Big Love. Russell Crowe was then seriously considered for the role. Pierce Brosnan, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes and Hugh Jackman were also considered.
  • Julie Delpy was considered for Sophie and lobbied really hard for it. But Audrey Tautou had always been Ron Howard's first choice. Audrey herself nearly didn't get the part as she felt she was too young, but was eventually persuaded to audition. Kate Beckinsale, Sophie Marceau and Vanessa Paradis wre also considered.
  • Christopher Eccleston and Jim Carrey were considered for Silas.
  • Ricky Gervais has said in interviews that he was offered the role of Jean Remy.
  • James Horner was originally going to score the film.

---