The Da Vinci gamble

The Da Vinci gamble
By JOE NEUMAIER
DAILY NEWS FEATURE WRITER
Friday, August 12th, 2005

Take a best-selling novel, throw in Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard and you have a Hollywood blockbuster, right?

Probably.
But because the novel is "The Da Vinci Code," the path to box-office success is far more complicated.

In May 2006, Sony Pictures will release the big-screen version of Dan Brown's mega-best-seller. Since it was published in 2003, "Da Vinci" has captivated readers - and exasperated Christians - with its core contention: That Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene, and the Church conspired to keep women out of power.

The movie, now being filmed by Howard, could alienate some audiences if it sticks to that plot. So the studio reportedly has been conferring with Catholic experts on how to soften the story - a tactic that could backfire with both secular and devout moviegoers.

"From the time they announced this movie, the obvious question was, 'What are they gonna do?'" said conservative critic and talk-show host Michael Medved, author of "Hollywood vs. America."

"If the filmmakers depart too much from Brown's novel, they'll be slammed by fans," Medved added. "And if they adhere to it, they run the risk of offending Christians, who are wary of the movie.

"And there will certainly be a backlash if it's not addressed at all."

Msgr. Francis Maniscalco of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' office said the book's image of the Church and of Opus Dei - a Catholic fundamentalist sect - are a distortion, and a film showing them as villains is unwelcome.

"There is content in the book that we find offensive and does not deserve further popularization in a movie," Maniscalco said.

Representatives from Sony Pictures did not return calls for comment, but reports say the movie could include a disclaimer stating it's a work of fiction.

"They would need to do that, at a minimum," Maniscalco said.

All of this hue and cry, however, may only make audiences more curious, says box-office analyst Paul Degarabedian.

"Obviously, this film is in good hands with Ron Howard and Tom Hanks," says Degarabedian. "But anytime a movie delves into religious-based subjects, it risks alienating part of the audience.

"But controversy often results in big box office. People may want to see what the fuss is about. All this talk that's gone on already may translate into buzz."