"Da Vinci Code" leads Hollywood pack to Cannes

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Last year it was the final installment of "Star Wars." This year it is "The Da Vinci Code." With an eye on the international box office, Hollywood studios are choosing the film festival in Cannes to launch some of their biggest blockbusters, and 2006 is no exception. The studios want in, and, whatever the French may think of U.S. cultural exports, Cannes these days is happy to comply in a bid to get the "A-listers" on its famed red carpet. "The Da Vinci Code," starring Tom Hanks and France's Audrey Tautou, is one of the most eagerly awaited films for years, both because of the success of Dan Brown's novel and the outcry from Christians over the plot. [More]