The world loves controversy. Possibly more so than bad news. It’s true. Why else do movies such as Straw Dogs (DVDs), I Spit On Your Grave (DVDs), Monty Python’s Life of Brian (DVDs) and Spongebob Squarepants (DVDs) gather so much attention? The answer is simple: they dare to question the understood and accepted dogma (although we still maintain that sponges really cannot talk).

And on that note, it’s time to announce that the new Da Vinci Code teaser trailer is now online at Apple.com. And by teaser, we mean ‘super-early, film-hasn’t-even-begun-shooting-yet’ teaser.

Narrated
by the obligatory, 40-a-day voice-over man, this deceptively-simple
trailer (which basically involves the camera ‘investigating the cracks’
around Da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa – clever, eh?) is possibly
enough to kick-off the hype the studio seem incredibly eager to
exploit.

But since the movie doesn’t actually begin filming until the
end of next month, some might say they may be jumping the gun a bit.

The film – obviously based on the ridiculously-over hyped book – concerns
the tale of a detective who, whilst attempting to solve a murder at the
Louvre Museum, is drawn into a series of events that threaten to
disclose the (supposed) real truth about the nature of the Holy Grail,
and unravel the 2,000 year doctrine practiced by Christians the world
over.

But will it be any good? Well, the book has been a critical and commercial
smash, topping the best-sellers list now for so long it’s hard to
remember if there was anything that came before, making the author, Dan
Brown, a household name (which, if one were pedantic, was what he
intended all along).

And with Ron Howard directing, and the likes of
Tom Hanks, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno and Audrey Tautou
bagging the starring roles, the studio seem incredibly confident that
this will be the next best thing since the Saviour Himself graced this
earth. Somehow, though, we sincerely doubt that.

The film is released May 2006.

[story by James Hickey]