Paul Bettany in The Da Vinci Code

Paul Bettany (Wimbledon, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) is set to play the albino monk Silas, in The Da Vinci Code from director Ron Howard.

Bettany joins Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen and Alfred Molina in the suspense from Columbia Pictures.  The Da Vinci Code is a adaptation from the best-selling book by Dan Brown, and is expected to be on the silver screen on May 19, 2006.

Akiva Goldsman wrote the screenplay, and Brian Grazer is producing with John Calley.