The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 feature film directed by Ron Howard, which is based on the bestselling 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It was one of the most anticipated films of 2006, and was previewed at the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2006. The Da Vinci Code then entered major release in many other countries on May 18, 2006 and was released in the United States by Columbia Pictures on May 19, 2006.
Because of some controversial interpretations and factual inaccuracies of Christian history in both the book and movie, they were criticised by the Roman Catholic Church. Some bishops urged members to boycott the film.[2] Many of the early showings were accompanied by protesters outside the movie theatres, and early critical reviews were decidedly mixed. However, the film earned over US$230 million worldwide in its opening weekend, which at the time was the third biggest opening in history (it is currently ranked as the seventh biggest opening). It was the second highest grossing movie of 2006 worldwide — having reached US$758,239,851 as of November 2, 2006, making it both Tom Hanks' and Ron Howard's most successful film when not adjusting for inflation. The film's soundtrack, composed by Hans Zimmer, was nominated for the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.