Columbia Pictures Options Rights to #1 Bestselling Thriller The Da Vinci Code

Columbia Pictures has secured the much sought after motion picture rights to Dan Brown's bestselling thriller The Da Vinci Code, it was announced today by Amy Pascal, Chairman of Columbia Pictures, and John Calley, Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The Da Vinci Code debuted at #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 successful 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 2000 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 Professor Langdon.

Viewing The Da Vinci Code and the adventures of Professor Langdon as the basis for a potential franchise, Columbia also acquired the right to produce Angels and Demons, and future Langdon properties.

"Dan Brown is a master storyteller who has created an amazingly visual page turner," said Calley. "The Da Vinci Code is a thrill ride unlike any that we have read or seen in a long, long time. The Robert Langdon character is a compelling hero and sleuth and we can't wait to bring this puzzle to the screen."

The project will be developed by Matt Tolmach, co-president of production for Columbia Pictures.

The Da Vinci Code is published by Doubleday. Dan Brown and his literary agent Heide Lange of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates were represented in the negotiations by Michael Rudell of Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell, and Vassallo.

About Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a division of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/ .

For further information please contact: Steve Elzer, Senior Vice President, Media Relations of Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, +1-310-244-7142, steve_elzer@spe.sony.com.

SOURCE: Columbia Pictures

CONTACT: Steve Elzer, Senior Vice President, Media Relations of Columbia
TriStar Motion Picture Group, +1-310-244-7142, steve_elzer@spe.sony.com

Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/