'Da Vinci Code' opens on record number of screens in Japan

TOKYO (AFP) - "The Da Vinci Code" opened in Japan on a record number of screens, but with little of the controversy seen in other countries over what some have labelled its blasphemous content. The film, based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown about a conspiracy by the Catholic Church to hide the supposed marriage of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, has sparked off furious protests by Catholic groups. But in Japan, the reaction was more muted and the distributors said the hype had only added to demand at the box office. [More]