CULVER CITY, Calif., June 27 (UPI) -- Columbia Pictures announced Friday it has secured the motion picture rights to Dan Brown's bestselling thriller, "The Da Vinci Code."
The "Da Vinci Code" debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has remained near or at the top of the list for more than 14 weeks.
The "Da Vinci Code" is Brown's second novel centering on Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, who first appeared in his "Angels and Demons," published in 2000, and now on the paperback best seller list.
"Da Vinci" centers on one of the greatest mysteries of humankind, a 2,000-year-old conspiracy, clues to which are encoded in the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci. Brown is currently at work on a third novel featuring Langdon.
Viewing "The Da Vinci Code" and the adventures of Langdon as the basis for a potential franchise, Columbia also acquired the right to produce "Angels and Demons," as well as future Langdon properties.
Terms were not disclosed.
