French actress given lead in 'Da Vinci Code'

PARIS -- Winsome French actress Audrey Tautou of "Amelie" fame has been chosen to play Tom Hanks' partner in cracking "The Da Vinci Code" in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel, the newspaper Le Parisien reported Saturday.\nAccording to the daily, Tautou is to play the role of Sophie Neveu, the investigator who helps Robert Langdon (Hanks), a symbologist, solve the murder of an elderly member of an ancient society that has protected dark secrets since the early years of Christianity.\nOscar-winning director Ron Howard opted for Tautou last week, then confirmed his decision in a Wednesday meeting with her in Paris, Le Parisien's cinema writer Alain Grasset reported without citing sources.\nSeveral celebrity actresses, including Sophie Marceau, sought the role that was finally narrowed down to Tautou and Linda Hardy, a former Miss France, according to the article.\nTautou also starred in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 2004 movie "A Very Long Engagement."\n"The Da Vinci Code," by Dan Brown, is a mix of code-breaking, art history, secret societies, religion and lore. Filming of the mystical thriller is expected to start in June. Sony Pictures has said it plans to release the film May 19, 2006.\nThe famed Louvre Museum has agreed in principal to allow scenes to be shot there, Louvre director Henri Loyrette said Friday. It is the murder of a Louvre curator that triggers the search for the so-called Da Vinci code.