Ron Howard has decided to step back from directing a third adventure of symbologist Robert Langdom, after having helmed the successful The DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons.
Deadline is reporting that Howard is remaining on the Tom Hanks-starring franchise as a producer, but quotes an anonymous insider as stating that he “didn’t want to do that thing over and over, the same character and the same stories.”
The films have adapted Dan Brown’s popular series of novel about a professor, played by Hanks in the films, who frequently finds himself drawn into mysteries involving secret societies and global conspiracies. The Lost Symbol is kicked off when an old friend is murdered and leads Langdon into an adventure involving the secret world of the Freemasons.
Howard’s two previous adaptations of Brown’s novels – 2006’s The Davinci Code and 2009’s Angels & Demons – have grossed over $1.24 billion at the worldwide box office. Given that on its first day of publication The Lost Symbol sold over 1 million copies between hardcover and e-book, it seems like a good bet that the film version should bring in similar coin.
