Da Vinci Code under scanner

The Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard and the book's author Dan Brown are being investigated by Italian state attorneys for religious obscenities.

A complaint has been filed against the 2006 movie by clergymen in the Italian village of Civitavecchia, on the grounds it is "obscene" from a religious perspective. Howard and Brown feature in the complaint, which names a further eight people. It is unclear what the unnamed complainants are seeking - but if found guilty the defendants could face jail time of three months. Asked why the case is being opened a year after the film was released, an official at the Civitavecchia state prosecutor says, "I don't know. Maybe, they have just seen the film."

Howard is currently working on pre-production on the film's sequel 'Angels and Demons'.