Variety reports that director Ron Howard is moving ahead with his prequel to THE DA VINCI CODE. ANGELS AND DEMONS, based on the novel by Dan Brown, is set to start production in February, according to the trade. Akiva Goldman is said to be rushing to get through completing the shooting script before the WGA strike that starts on October 31.

The film revolves around Tom Hanks' character, Robert Langdon, a Harvard-based expert on religious symbols, who this time sleuths a mystery that involves a secret society and a conspiracy that leads to Vatican City and threatens the future of the Catholic Church.

THE DA VINCI CODE proved to be a massive hit, grossing $758 million in worldwide ticket sales.