Netflix is developing a new television series following Robert Langdon, the protagonist of Dan Brown’s novels who was played by Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code. The Robert Langdon books have previously been successfully adapted into three movies: The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and Inferno. The fourth book in the series, “The Lost Symbol,” was also made into a Peacock original television series in 2021, where Ashley Zukerman played a younger version of Langdon. While the show wasn’t as popular, the Robert Langdon movies proved wildly successful, grossing nearly $1.5 billion at the box office and enjoying quite a bit of popularity on streaming.
A report from Deadline confirmed that Netflix won a bidding war for the rights to adapt Dan Brown’s novel “The Secret of Secrets,” the sixth book in the Robert Langdon series. It is not yet known if Tom Hanks or Ashley Zukerman will play Robert Langdon again, but both Dan Brown and Carlton Cuse, the showrunner for Lost, will act as co-creators of the show. “The Secret of Secrets,” which is set to release on September 9, will see Langdon try to “rescue a missing scientist and her groundbreaking manuscript whose discoveries have the power to forever change humanity’s understanding of the mind.”
What Netflix’s Robert Langdon Show Means For The Dan Brown Franchise
Netflix Has A Chance To Fix The Lost Symbol’s Mistakes & Create A Good Robert Langdon Show
Netflix’s adaptation of “The Secret of Secrets” is a great opportunity for the Robert Langdon franchise. The first attempt to adapt Dan Brown’s books into a serialized format, Peacock’s The Lost Symbol, was a bit underwhelming. It received just 60% on Rotten Tomatoes and less with audiences, and it was canceled after just one season (via Deadline). Netflix has a chance to fix The Lost Symbol‘s mistakes and craft a truly compelling TV adaptation of one of Dan Brown’s novels. The Robert Langdon books are wildly popular for a reason, and Netflix could open the door to a very successful series.
The last Tom Hanks movie, Inferno, was released in 2016, and it earned $200,000 less at the box office than its predecessor, Angels & Demons (via Box Office Mojo). Tom Hanks’ recent comments about The Da Vinci Code also indicate that he would be unwilling to return to the role. The Robert Langdon series of movies and shows is clearly in decline, but Netflix has an opportunity to bring it back to wild popularity. Mystery thrillers – like Poker Face and Knives Out – are back in vogue, after all, and the time could be right for the series to make a comeback.
Our Take On Netflix’s Upcoming Adaptation Of The Secret Of Secrets
The Secret Of Secrets Is Still Filled With Uncertainty, But Netflix’s Track Record Looks Promising For The Series
At this early juncture, it’s difficult to get a read on how Netflix’s adaptation of “The Secret of Secrets” will perform. Brown’s book hasn’t even been released yet, and the show is likely still years away from hitting the streaming service’s catalog. That being said, however, Netflix seems like the perfect streaming service to give The Secret of Secrets a fighting chance at being a hit. The streamer has a tremendous track record with successful book adaptations. It also has plenty of money and resources to pull off a globe-trotting plot like the ones Brown is known for.
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The Secret of Secrets also has another secret weapon aside from Netflix’s resources: Carlton Cuse. As previously mentioned, Cuse was the showrunner for Lost, one of the best TV shows of all time. If anyone knows how to take a complicated, mysterious plot and successfully adapt it to television, it’s Cuse, which is great news for The Secret of Secrets. It may be early yet, but Netflix’s take on the Da Vinci Code franchise is certainly worth looking forward to.