Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon and Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu in The Da Vinci Code
LOS ANGELES - In the first big-screen casualty of the Hollywood writers strike, Columbia Pictures has postponed production on Angels & Demons, a prequel to its box-office hit The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks.
The Sony-owned film distributor also said the planned release date for the Ron
Howard-directed religious thriller, originally set to open during the 2008 holiday season, has been pushed back to 2009.
"With the strike nearing its third week, Columbia Pictures has postponed production of Angels & Demons," the studio said in a statement, adding that the script by Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldman needed further work.
Goldman, a member of the Writers Guild of America, is barred by the WGA's strike rules from editing or polishing scripts for the duration of the walkout.
In addition to his work on Da Vinci Code, Goldman's writing credits include two Russell Crowe movies Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind, for which he won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.
- REUTERS
