"Da Vinci Code" Prequel to Re-unite Tom Hanks, Ron Howard

It was reported today that actor Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard are in the final stage of negotions to team up for a "Da Vinci Code" prequel. The creative team previously joined forces for 2006's "The Da Vinci Code," based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. That film did $758 million in international box office business, making it a major commercial blockbuster.

The second film in the "Da Vinci" franchise will be based on Dan Brown's novel "Angels and Demons," which outlines the events leading up to "The Da Vinci Code," including a series of murders related to the Vatican and the mysterious Illuminati.

Dan Brown's pair of "Da Vinci" books are two of the most commercially successful novels of the past decade. 2003's "Da Vinci Code," published by Doubleday, has been translated in over forty languages. There are over 60 million copies of the book in print. "Angels and Demons" was published in 2000.

The lead character in both novels is symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon, a Harvard academic who becomes drawn in to a web of conspiracy and danger. Tom Hanks portrayed the character in "The Da Vinci Code."

Between them, Hanks and Howard have won four Oscars. Hanks received statuettes for his leading roles in both "Forrest Gump" and "Philadelphia," and Howard won for his work on "A Beautiful Mind." For the acclaimed drama, which centered on a troubled mathematician, Howard took home both Best Directing and Best Picture honors from the Academy.

The script for "A Beautiful Mind" was adapted by screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who also penned the script for "The Da Vinci Code." Goldsman is one of the most commercially successful script writers working in Hollywood today, and his name can be found on a series of recent hits including "Starsky And Hutch," and "Mr. And Mrs. Smith." Goldsman is already at work on a draft of "Angels and Demons."