Huh, we don't have a thread on this yet. In fact, even though my blog is automatically fed into this site, we don't even seem to have a link to my blog post from September 2006 on this film. Hmmm. Anyhoo.

So ... if the film no longer concerns the Holy Grail and a descendant of Jesus, is it fair to say the filmmakers were afraid of seeming like a clone of The Da Vinci Code? (Where a key character was named JACQUES Saunière. Hmmm.)

And speaking of assassinating Martin Luther, what ever became of The Heretic? Is that movie still in the works?

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Johnny Depp’s ‘Rex Mundi’ Has Its Script, Now Looking For Director
In the alternate-noir world of “Rex Mundi,” the Catholic Church was never reformed — Martin Luther was assassinated first. And so by 1933, when the story takes place, the Inquisition polices Europe, which is ruled by monarchies, while most of the rest of the world remains colonized. And yet, despite all the Church control, magic is also a part.
“People don’t want to see what they already know,” Levine said. “People are open-minded, and they want to be entertained, so this is a new opportunity for that.”
Though the mystery in Arvid Nelson’s graphic novels involves the Holy Grail and a descendant of Jesus Christ, screenwriter Jim Uhls (“Fight Club”) has changed the story somewhat, although Depp’s character Dr. Julien Sauniere would still be the lead.
MTV Splash Page, August 13

Guest Blog: ‘Rex Mundi’ Creator Arvid Nelson Spills On Johnny Depp, ‘The Da Vinci Code’ And More
“Rex Mundi” means “King of the World” in Latin. It’s a quest for the Holy Grail told as a murder mystery. For the record, yes, it shares some things in common with “The Da Vinci Code.” And for the record, I first published “Rex Mundi” a good three years before “The Da Vinci Code” hit stores. And good for Dan Brown, for writing such a successful novel! But it sure didn’t help “Rex Mundi’s” prospects in Tinsel Town.
I think one of the reasons Johnny Depp is interested in “Rex Mundi” — I’ve never communicated with him, but I say a little prayer for him before going to bed every night — is that it’s actually a very different story from “The Da Vinci Code.” The “Rex Mundi” film isn’t going to be a rip off of “The Da Vinci Code,” because the comic isn’t a rip-off of “The Da Vinci Code.” All the same, we’re going to make major changes for the film. I don’t know exactly what those changes will be, but whatever happens, I’m all for it.
St. Paul, in one of his letters, wrote “the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” Who am I to disagree? The most important thing in an adaptation is to stay true to the spirit of a story, even if the specifics details — the letter — might change.
Arvid Nelson, MTV Splash Page, August 28