Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol (2009), the third book featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, was originally going to be adapted into film. The film adaptations of Brown’s The Da Vinci Code (2006) and Angels & Demons (2009) were produced and directed by Ron Howard and featured Tom Hanks as Langdon. Eventually, The Lost Symbol adaptation was shelved in favour of one of Inferno , based on Brown’s fourth novel featuring Langdon.
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Now The Lost Symbol has found life as a limited-edition series and works as a prequel to the films. With Howard, Brown and Brian Grazer (one of the producers of the Langdon trilogy) serving as executive producers, the series has impeccable credentials and proves to be a fairly engaging ride.
Following the book fairly closely with some deviations, the series is a race against time for Langdon (Ashley Zukerman) as he goes against an implacable foe, Mal’akh (Beau Knapp) to save the world from a dreadful weapon.
- Season: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Duration: 42 to 47 minutes
- Creators: Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie
- Starring: Ashley Zukerman, Eddie Izzard, Valorie Curry, Beau Knapp, Rick Gonzalez, Sumalee Montano, Raoul Bhaneja, Laura De Carteret, Keenan Jolliff, Tyrone Benskin
- Storyline: The Harvard symbologist has to solve a complicated puzzle with its roots in ancient secrets to save the world as we know it
Like all Brown books, The Lost Symbol has secret societies (the Freemasons this time around), an ancient mystery, a weird villain, tons of talky bits, bizarre symbols, kooky science, a ticking clock and a lot of running around. Unlike other Brown books, which are set all over Europe, The Lost Symbol is set mainly in Washington, (there is a detour in Turkey) with no dearth of paintings and buildings waiting to give up their secrets to the clever, sceptical symbologist.
The dreadful haircut has passed on from Langdon to his mentor, Peter Solomon (Eddie Izzard), probably because it is a prequel. In the books and movies, Langdon does not seem to have time for love despite racing around saving the world in the company of intelligent, attractive and unattached women. This is set right in the series with Solomon’s daughter, Kate (Valorie Curry), a noetic scientist, doing the honours, and they do make a sweet couple.
Inoue Sato (Sumalee Montano), the CIA director, and Nuñez (Rick Gonzalez), a police officer, help Langdon in his quest. The show ends with an opening for a second season and points towards an adaptation of Brown’s 2017 novel, Origin —oh to see Gaudí’s beautiful buildings!
The Lost Symbol is currently streaming on Voot Select
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