Shooting hasbegun in Paris on Ron Howard'sadaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel The DaVinci Code.

On Wednesdaynight, a crew worked at the Ritz Hotel on the Place Vendomewhere the lead character played by Tom Hanks is awoken by a phone call from thepolice, kicking off the action.

On Thursdaynight, cast and crew were set to move to the Louvremuseum where they will shoot nights and on days the museum is closed. Thedecision to allow a film to shoot in the highly protected landmark wasannounced in January. It is believed that government intervention helped topush museum director Henri Loyette to agree.

The film,produced by Columbia Pictures and Howard's Imagine Entertainment, isbudgeted at $100m and also stars French actress Audrey Tautouas Sophie Neveu, Jean Reno as BezuFache, Sir Ian McKellan asSir Leigh Teabing, Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa and Paul Bettany asSilas the monk.

The shoot isset to wrap in Englandin October with a release planned for May 17, making The Da Vinci Code a possible Cannes presence in2006.