DeadlineHollywood reports that Akiva Goldsman, who adapted Dan Brown's worldwide bestseller The Da Vinci Code into a $756 million hit film, is receiving $4 million from Imagine Entertainment and Sony Pictures for the Da Vinci Code sequel, currently being written by Brown.

Screenwriting agents have indicated this represents a new $$$ high for hiring a screenwriter (not buying a spec script) -- and not even an original screenplay, but an adaptation of a book.

Generally, the most in-demand screenwriters these days are getting between $2.0-2.5 million project.

No word on when Brown will be finished with the book, however Sony is anticipating a 2008 release of the film.