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When a runaway bestseller becomes the buzz movie of the season, must-have merchandise is sure to follow.
But how do you market a murder mystery involving a 2,000-year- old religious controversy and one of Western art's greatest painters? In the case of "The Da Vinci Code," Ron Howard's film of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, look for brain teasers, journals, travel books and board games.
The PG-13 film opens May 19. With sales of the book topping 40 million copies, there's a market for "Da Vinci" stuff - but we're not talking action figures.
"The point of merchandising is to bring the experience of the movie home and with The Da Vinci Code,' it's totally different from something likeSuperman' or Cars,' " said Jim Silver, publisher of the toy-industry magazine Toy Wishes. "Da Vinci' will be big in hats and games and books, but not toys."
Get out your credit cards, "Code" fans, here's a sample of the goods:
- Da Vinci's Challenge Mancala. In this new twist on one of the world's most ancient games, players win points by forming Da Vinci's secret symbols inside their mancala. Be the first to clear your side of the board, capture your opponent's pieces and score the most secret symbol points to win. $16.95 at www.barnesaandnoble.com
- Da Vinci's Challenge Card Game. Sure, it's recommended for players age 8 and older, but we're betting it will appeal most to grownups. $5.99 at www.barnesandnoble.com
- Da Vinci's Challenge board game. Take turns placing shapes on the board to reveal nine patterns. The more complex the design, the more points you score. $24.99 at www.barnesandnoble.com
- The Da Vinci Code Esphera 360-degree 3-D Puzzle from Rose Art glows in the dark to release "the code" when the lights go out. $19.95 at www.barnsandnoble.com
- The Da Vinci Code Travel Journal includes an itinerary based on the book, through Rome, Paris and London, plus excerpts from the novel devoted to each significant site and work of art, and plenty of lined pages for travel notes. $12.95 at www.barnesandnoble.com
- The Da Vinci Code adjustable cap, mug and master print set. $39.99 at www.moviegoods.com
- Sony PlayStation 2's `Da Vinci Code.' $39.99 at www.amazon.com
- Air France Holidays' The Mysteries of Da Vinci package, a four- night, air-inclusive adventure on Air France, starting at $1,399 per person. The itinerary includes sites from the book, from the Louvre to Saint Sulpice Church, or guests can customize the trip to their interests. Through Oct. 31.
- Fodor's Guide to The Da Vinci Code is an entire tour of the book's locales, plus a listing of cool places to stay and eat in England, Scotland, France and Rome. $14.95 at www.fodors.com
(C) 2006 Boston Herald. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
