According to Variety, Sony Pictures Entertainment has set Ian McKellen and Alfred Molina for roles in The Da Vinci Code, the Ron Howard-directed adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller.

Brian Grazer is producing with John Calley. Akiva Goldsman wrote the script.

Molina will play zealous Bishop Arigarosa, who's keenly interested in the sleuthing activities of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and cryptographer Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou). McKellen will play Sir Teabing, a wealthy man who acts as a resource for Langdon even as he shows his own ambitions to uncover the Holy Grail. Pic also stars Jean Reno.

The pic begins production in June for a May 19, 2006, release.

McKellen will next star opposite Natasha Richardson in the David Mackenzie-directed Asylum for Paramount Classics, and is expected to be back for the third installment of X-Men for 20th Century Fox.

Molina will start "Da Vinci" after playing the role of Touchstone in the Kenneth Branagh-directed HBO Films adaptation of Shakespeare's As You Like It. Molina has also been set to star in the Lasse Hallstrom-directed Hoax, for Stratus.

The Da Vinci Code was released May 19th, 2006 and stars Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Jean-Yves Berteloot. The film is directed by Ron Howard.