“Langdon” based off Dan Brown’s novel The Lost Symbol gets NBC pilot order

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Nearly seventeen years ago author Dan Brown rocked the reading public's world with his thrilling novel The Da Vinci Code. The novel, which follows the adventures of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, was an instant best-seller and the water cooler topic across the world. It also sparked serious controversy among critics and religious scholars for its depiction of the core tenets of Christianity. Noted writer Richard Abanes in particular accused Brown of passing off his historical distortions as facts.

Nevertheless, the success of The Da Vinci Code resulted in an ensuing film adaptation directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks sporting a bold haircut. While commercially successful, THE DA VINCI CODE was a critical failure. However, two subsequent sequels were released, 2009's ANGELS & DEMONS and 2016's INFERNO. Both movies were less commercially successful than THE DA VINCI CODE and from a critical standpoint, just as poorly received. I honestly thought that when INFERNO bombed in 2016 it marked the end of Robert Langdon's adventures. While that may be the case for the big screen, it most certainly is not the case for the small one.

NBC has given the official greenlight to Langdon, courtesy of Imagine Television. The project landed a huge production commitment from NBC last June, however the network hadn't officially picked up the pilot until this week. Screenwriters Jay Beattie and Dan Dworkin penned the script and Ron Howard will return to executive produce. Author Dan Brown will also be involved on Langdon which serves as a prequel for the intrepid symbologist.

Langdon will follow a young Robert Langdon who must solve a series of deadly puzzles to save his kidnapped mentor and thwart a chilling global conspiracy. The first season will be based off of Dan Brown's third novel in the Robert Langdon series, The Lost Symbol, which centers around the inner workings of the Free Masons. No actors or actresses are currently attached and it's uncertain when the show will premiere. It's also important to note that NBC has only greenlit the pilot at this time, not a full season.

On a personal note I absolutely adore Dan Brown's Robert Langdon novels. They are incredibly pulpy and filled with historical inaccuracies, however they are captivating page turners. I was completely let down by the film adaptations, so hopefully doing the tale in long format will be more successful. Although, if I'm being honest this story may have been served better on a streaming service, HBO, or even FX.

So what do you guys think of this news? Are you a fan of Dan Brown's novels? Were you disappointed by the film adaptations? Do you think Robert Langdon's stories will work on the small screen? Sound off in the comments below!