RON HOWARD - MOVIE BOSSES WARNED TO ACCURATELY PORTRAY ALBINISM

Movie director RON HOWARD is being advised to tread carefully when filming the movie adaptation of novel THE DA VINCI CODE this year (05), by not permitting albino stereotypes.

The NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR ALBINISM AND HYPOPIGMENTATION (NOAH) has asked film bosses to make sure the upcoming movie doesn't portray its albino character as a red-eyed psychopath.

NOAH president MIKE McGOWAN says, "One huge problem with (author DAN BROWN's book) The Da Vinci Code is how (the character of) SILAS is described with red eyes. That's a myth. Most often in people with albinism the eyes are light blue or even hazel.

"Ron Howard can make a big difference for people with albinism by continuing the trend away from a hack device if they adjust the Silas character to not be an evil albino.

"Over the years the stereotyping and misinformation foisted on the albinism community by film-makers does real harm to real people."

TOM HANKS has signed up to star in The Da Vinci Code, which is slated for a mid-2006 release.