Angels And Demons, The Movie

Let's face it, Da Vinci Code, The Movie was pretty dull. And Tom Hanks as the hero, Dr. Robert Langdon was not the best choice either. Didn't you expect a more dashing and younger actor than Mr. Hanks? I sure did.

And the movie... it had its moments, but the tiring explanations were a complete snooze-fest for probably everyone, especially for those of us who read the book first (who hasn't?).

We can only hope that the faster pace and the more robust story line of Angels and Demons will translate into a better movie. Remains to be seen.

From the looks of things, Ron Howard and Tom Hanks will be teaming-up again for the movie version of Angels and Demons.

I'm not so sure the return of either of these gentlemen is a good idea, since the Da Vinci Code film was not the super-blockbuster it was hyped to be. But in all fairness, the Da Vinci Code was an extremely difficult book to adapt to the big screen. Considering it had a tendency to revert to the style of a history textbook at times how could the movie overcome this lack of action without straying too far from the novel?

Let's hope for the best for the new movie! Here's what I've been able to learn about the Angels and Demons movie scheduled first for a January, 2008 release date and now rumored to be coming out December, 2008. I will be adding more news as it comes in. Stay tuned!

An ancient secret brotherhood.

A devastating new weapon of destruction.

An unthinkable target.

When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati...the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth. The Illuminati has now surfaced to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy -- the Catholic Church.

Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces they have hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.

Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair...a clandestine location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.

An explosive international thriller, Angels & Demons careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war.

"Angels and Demons" News...

• April - 2007 - "Da Vinci Code" Prequel Is A Go!
• May, 2007 - Tom Hanks "Angels And Demons" Salary All-Time Record
• August 2, 2007 - Orlando Bloom In Talks For "Angels And Demons" Role
• August 21, 2007 - Headlines From Movieweb.com
• Variety | Wed., Oct. 24, 2007, 7:30pm PT | Howard moves fast with 'Code' sequel
• Actress Archives | Thursday, October 25, 2007 | Angels and Demons Sequel-ized, Fast-Tracked
• The Industry | 10/25/07 | Tom Hanks Prepares to Grow That "Da Vinci" Mullet Again
• Stax | October 25, 2007 | Angels & Updates - Code follow-up now casting for '08 start
• AFP | November 16, 2007 | Screen writer strike delays "Angels and Demons" shooting
• CinemaBlend.com | November 18, 2007 | Writer's Strike Takes Down Angels And Demons
• FirstShowing.net | November 21, 2007 | Naomi Watts Joins Ron Howard's Angels and Demons
• Entertainment Weekly | April 24, 2008 | Naomi Watts (Out) - Ayelet Zurer (In) For Lead Role
• Filmofilia.com | June 7, 2008 | "Angels and Demons" - On The Set Photos
• movies.popcrunch.com | June 11th, 2008 | Tom Hanks Helps Bride During Angels and Demons Filming
• Associated Press | June 16, 2008 | Da Vinci Code movie banned from filming in church
• October 8, 2008 | Filming Update and News Videos

"Angels and Demons" Extras...

• "Angels and Demons" Trailers
• "Angels and Demons" and "Da Vinci Code" at Amazon.com
• "Angels and Demons" News from Google

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Let's hope they've learned from their mistakes in the Da Vinci Code, because it looks like director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks are to reunite for its prequel: Angels & Demons. The movie will once again see Hanks playing Harvard professor Robert Langdon, as he tries to solve a murder and get to the bottom of a plot to blow up the Vatican.

Despite taking a beating from the critics, The Da Vinci Code went on to earn some $758 million at the box office worldwide before becoming a best selling DVD - not bad given that the movie cost around $125 million to make. Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman is once again adapting the Dan Brown novel, with production likely to start January, 2008.

It looks like Sony's Da Vinci Code prequel Angels and Demons is now moving ahead. According to one of our more reliable sources close to the project, Tom Hanks has been officially locked up to reprise his role as Dr. Robert Langdon in the new movie.

Hanks has been in talks to do the film for a while now, and apparently it took a really big paycheck to get him. It's reported to be the "biggest salary ever paid to an actor in the history of Hollywood." I guess it doesn't get much bigger than that does it? But The Da Vinci Code was a huge success for Sony Pictures, particularly internationally. If they have to pay him more than $50 million to get him back, it's probably worth it. Sorry Jeff Daniels, you won't be getting a phone call.

It looks like filming on Angels and Demons should start in July, 2007, with Hanks and his Euro-hair joining the already rumored supermodel Gisele Bundchen on the set. The script is by Akiva Goldsman and last we heard Ron Howard is supposed to be back as director.

Angels and Demons is based on another book by Dan Brown. This movie starts before The Da Vinci Code with Dr. Robert Langdon on the trail of the Illuminati and engaged in a frantic quest to find some sort of uber-powerful energy source. The trail leads him all around the Vatican, where he'll no doubt find something that will piss off the Pope. He doesn't seem to have a sense of humor about these things.

It seems that Hollywood heartthrob Orlando Bloom has no trouble jumping from one blockbuster to another after it's been rumored that he is in talks to join the cast of Angels and Demons.

Tom Hanks has already signed up to reprise his role as Professor Robert Langdon and Gisele Bundchen is also set to star.

What role Bloom will play is uncertain but with an empty schedule Bloom is free to join filming as production is due to start any time. Ron Howard is also rumored to return to take directorial duties.

• Release date: December 19th, 2008
• Director: Ron Howard
• Writer: Akiva Goldsman
• Starring: Tom Hanks
• Studio: Columbia Pictures
• Genre: Thriller
• Official Site: Not Available
• Rating: NONE

Description:
"The Da Vinci Code" was Dan Brown's second novel centering on Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor who's an expert in religious symbols. "Angels and Demons," published in 2000, introduced the Langdon character.

In "Angels," Langdon's character tries to solve a murder and unravel a plot by an ancient group, the Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave.

Director finalizing 'Angels' before strike
By MICHAEL FLEMING

As Hollywood scrambles to make deals before the Oct. 31 expiration of the WGA pact, one fast-tracked project has almost flown under the radar -- though it could become one of the biggest films assembled during this frenzied period.

Columbia has formalized a February start in Europe for "Angels & Demons," the Ron Howard-directed sequel to "The Da Vinci Code" that will be released in December 2008.

Producers Brian Grazer and John Calley, Col, Howard and writer Akiva Goldsman are seeking to finalize the shooting script before next week's deadline. Meanwhile, the "Angels" team have begun casting around Tom Hanks, who will reprise his role as Robert Langdon.

The film guarantees a manic year for Howard, who will be multi-tasking to get the picture done. Howard will shoot "Angels & Demons" as he supervises editing and post-production on the screen adaptation of the Peter Morgan play "Frost/Nixon." That film, which Howard wrapped shooting last week, has tentatively been slotted for a late 2008 release.

This means Howard could have a double-pronged post-production schedule and will have two high-profile projects opening in a relatively short time.

The rush-rush schedule echoes Steven Spielberg's back-to-back shooting of "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List" and Clint Eastwood's double duty on "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima."

Hanks' character, a Harvard-based expert on religious symbols, this time sleuths a mystery that involves a secret society and a conspiracy that leads to Vatican City and threatens the future of the Catholic Church.

Dan Brown wrote "Angels & Demons" prior to "The Da Vinci Code," but after the first film grossed $218 million domestic and $758 million worldwide, the studio made a seven-figure deal with Goldsman to turn the earlier novel into a sequel (Daily Variety, May 24, 2006).

Did you know that fiction author Dan Brown keeps an hourglass on his desk and pauses every hour, on the hour, when he is writing to perform sets of push-ups and sit-ups?

If you didn't know that, then you might not be aware that his 2000 novel, Angels and Demons, has been fast-tracked to hit the big screen late next year.

Variety reported last night that Ron Howard, the same guy that brought us cinematic masterpieces Willow and A Beautiful Mind, and abominations How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Da Vinci Code, will be bringing the latter's sequel to the silver screen.

But you say, "Sequel, wha?! But Angels and Demons was penned 3 years prior to The Da Vinci Code!"

True, it was. But after 2006's Da Vinci Code grossed three quarters of a billion dollars worldwide, Columbia was quick to offer a 7-figure deal to Akiva Goldsman, its screenwriter, to transform Dan Brown's prequel into a sequel.

Now said screenwriter is racing to finish up the script before October 31, the day the WGA's current contract expires and the day the union may command its members to stop working.

The studio is also racing to get things done before the deadline.

This week Columbia made it official to start filming Angels and Demons in February 2008 and to release it next holiday season.

Ready or not, protagonist Robert Langdon is hitting the big screen again. The question remains, will Tom Hanks wear a more convincing wig this time around?

Hanks and Howard Break More Codes: Columbia beats the WGA strike, announces a February start date for their Da Vinci Code sequel Angels and Demons. With Tom Hanks and Ron Howard returning as star and director, and with a few more days to go before the strike deadline, the studio hopes to squeeze in a quick Splash sequel as well. [Variety]

Angels & Demons, Columbia Pictures' follow-up to last year's blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, will go before cameras this February in Europe for a December 2008 bow.

Variety reports that casting on the Ron Howard-directed film is getting under way and that Tom Hanks is set to reprise his role as symbologist Robert Langdon.

Akiva Goldsman is working feverishly to finish his screenplay adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller before the Writers Guild contract with the studios expires October 31 and the screenwriters strike begins.

The trade points out that the spring start date means a busy year ahead for Howard, who will be in post-production on Frost/Nixon while he's making Angels & Demons.

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) (excerpt)
The filming of "Angels and Demons," like "The Da Vinci Code" adapted from a Dan Brown novel and starring Tom Hanks as professor Robert Langdon, has been delayed due to the screen writers' strike, Sony studios said Friday.

"With the strike nearing its third week, Columbia Pictures has postponed production of Angels and Demons," said studio spokesman Steve Elzer, adding that the production was close to finishing.

"At this time, there is no new start date for Angels and Demons, but we are setting a release date of May 15, 2009 and are hopeful to deliver the movie worldwide to theaters on that date," he added.

By Rafe Telsch: 2007-11-18 09:27:19

Ron Howard's schedule is about to lighten up a bit. The director was slated to go into production on Angels & Demons, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code. The picture was trying to get a script in before the November 1st WGA deadline for reaching new contracts between writers and producers, which would allow the picture to move forward without being deeply affected by the strike. While a script was delivered, inside sources told Variety that the script is riddled with "insurmountable problems", making Angels and Demons the first official casualty of the writer's strike.

Of course, the script isn't the only problem the production is facing, which was supposed to begin filming early next year with a release scheduled for next Christmas. Right now Tom Hanks has been cast to continue his role as Robert Langdon and... and that's it. That's right -- the film that should have started shooting in February only had one cast member in place, so the shooting delay isn't entirely due to the WGA strike.

No new shooting date has been announced which makes sense. Since we still don't know when the strike might end, there's no idea of when the production might have an acceptable script. The release date for Angels & Demons has been pushed back however, to May 2009.

I actually think the delay on Angels is a good call. Howard was going to be a tad-bit overworked, completing post-production on Frost/Nixon, the adaptation of the acclaimed play, at the same time Angels & Demons was shooting. At least this way Howard can focus on one picture at a time instead of doing a rush job on two pictures.

Source: New York Post
by Alex Billington

England-born and Australia-raised Naomi Watts has joined Ron Howard's adaptation of Angels & Demons. The film, based off of Dan Brown's bestselling novel of the same name, is officially a prequel to The Da Vinci Code, although Hollywood is creating it as a sequel to that movie from 2006. Watts will likely star as Vittoria Vetra, the adopted daughter of CERN scientist Leonardo Vetra, who meets Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) and tags along with him in his adventure. An official statement stating that she'll play Vetra hasn't been made yet, but it's likely the case.

Angels & Demons is one of the films that is being directly affected by the eriters strike. Just a few days ago we ran an article about the film being delayed because the script, written by Akiva Goldsman, still needs polishing. However, what I imagine Sony and the production companies behind Angels & Demons are doing is getting everything together and moving along anyway. According to our article, the film's opening was moved to May 15th, 2009. That date change gives them plenty of time to get the script fixed and production underway in Rome. They can easily start scouting locations, securing actors, and even building sets despite the script not being perfectly polished.

Watt's character, Vittoria Vetra, is described in the book as the following:

"Lithe and graceful, she was tall with chestnut skin and long black hair that swirled in the backwind of the rotors. Her face was unmistakably Italian - not overly beautiful, but possessing full, earthy features that even at twenty yards seemed to exude a raw sensuality. As the air currents buffeted her body, her clothes clung, accentuating her slender torso and small breasts."

I'd say Naomi is pretty sensual and pretty earthy, no? Just looking at a photo of her (the gorgeous one above), it seems like she's the perfect fit for Vittoria, as long as her hair is darker. I'm looking forward to Angels & Demons more and more as all of this production gets underway, especially after just reading it (the book) a couple of months ago.

by Alex Billington

Production on Ron Howard's adaptation of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons is finally slated to begin in June and the cast is now being finalized.

We originally reported last year that Naomi Watts had been cast as the female lead Vittoria Vetra. Now a report from Entertainment Weekly states that Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer has been cast as Vetra instead.

While it's still not officially confirmed by the studio, EW states that they have received numerous confirmations from sources "close to the production." We sure hope they're not wrong this time, but she seems like the perfect fit anyway - in the same way Audrey Tautou was actually the perfect fit for Sophie Neveu in The Da Vinci Code, despite the rather mediocre movie in the end.

We'll recap the first description of Vittoria Vetra according to the book.

"Lithe and graceful, she was tall with chestnut skin and long black hair that swirled in the backwind of the rotors. Her face was unmistakably Italian - not overly beautiful, but possessing full, earthy features that even at twenty yards seemed to exude a raw sensuality. As the air currents buffeted her body, her clothes clung, accentuating her slender torso and small breasts."

Vittoria is the adopted daughter of CERN scientist Leonardo Vetra who joins with Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) on an adventure through Vatican City.

When a physicist at CERN is murdered, evidence is discovered of the rebirth of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - and it's up to Langdon and Vetra to stop a terrorist attack and uncover the truth behind the powerful organization.

Additional cast still unannounced include CERN's Maximilian Kohler and Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca. I'd highly suggest reading the book beforehand, as was also the case with The Da Vinci Code.

I personally prefer Naomi Watts over Zurer, but alas I don't have a say. As a big fan of the book and a big fan of Watts (in Eastern Promises), I feel like she just fits the character a lot more than Zurer.

However, I'm not too familiar with Zurer's work (besides in Munich) and I can only trust that she won't be a bad alternative. It may just irk me in the end thinking Naomi could've done a better job, but I think I'll get over it soon enough. At least I'm glad this is finally starting production, although I really hope this turns out a lot better than The Da Vinci Code.

Update! It appears Ewan McGregor has also been cast in the film. Variety only reveals that McGregor will play a "Vatican insider who assists Langdon."

It's likely he will either play Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca, the late pope's closest aide, who assists Langdon and Vetra, or one of the Vatican's Swiss Guard: Commander Olivetti, Captain Rocher or Lieutenant Chartrand. I love Ewan McGregor as well and its great to have him join the cast, too.

Posted by Fiona, June 7, 2008
Production has started on Ron Howard's second installment of the Dan Brown series, "Angels and Demons."

Based on Dan Brown's novel "Angels & Demons," published in 2000, the movie follows Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon to analyze a mysterious symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist.

Langdon (Tom Hanks) tries to solve a murder and unravel a plot by an ancient group, the Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave.

"The Da Vinci Code" was Dan Brown's second novel centering on Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor who's an expert in religious symbols.

"Angels and Demons" will hit theaters May 15, 2009.

Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Dan Brown (novel), Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer

[Thanks to TheBadandUgly.com and Trovacinema.it]

All-around nice guy Tom Hanks saved the day for a woman's wedding that was interrupted by filming of his Da Vinci Code followup "Angels and Demons." The movie production in Rome blocked the entrance to the church where she was to be married.

Tom Hanks guided the bride and her father to the church, offering his arm and keeping her veil off the ground.

By ARIEL DAVID | Associated Press Writer

ROME - Rome's diocese said Monday it has barred the producers of "Angels & Demons" from filming in two churches for the prequel to the "The Da Vinci Code," the popular book and film that angered many Catholic leaders.

Producers of the film, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, were turned down because the movie "does not conform to our views," said Monsignor Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the diocese.

The crew had asked to film in the churches of Santa Maria del Popolo and Santa Maria della Vittoria, two architectural jewels in the heart of Rome that include paintings by Caravaggio, sculptures by Bernini and a chapel designed by Raphael.

Permission was denied in 2007, but the issue surfaced only now that filming is ongoing in Rome, Fibbi said. The Sony-produced film was put on hold during the Writers Guild of America strike that ended in February and is now scheduled for release in May 2009.

Fibbi's comments first were reported this week by the Italian entertainment magazine "TV Sorrisi e Canzoni."

"It's a film that treats religious issues in a way that contrasts with common religious sentiment," Fibbi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "We would be helping them create a work that might well be beautiful but that does not conform to our views."

Fibbi acknowledged that the controversy over writer Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and its blockbuster movie version had weighed on the decision.

The story drew anger and prompted calls for boycotts by church leaders worldwide with the idea that Jesus married and fathered children and by depicting the conservative Catholic movement, Opus Dei, as a murderous cult.

"This is a prequel to 'The Da Vinci Code' and it's clear that the theme is similar," Fibbi said. He added that the ban would not stop the crew from filming the exterior of the churches.

Brown's "Angels and Demons" is a religious thriller combining an ancient secret brotherhood called the Illuminati, code-cracking, a papal conclave and a high-tech weapon threatening to destroy the Vatican.

It features Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon of "The Da Vinci Code" fame, played by Hanks in the movie.

Calls to Sony Pictures in London and Rome were not immediately returned Monday.

Well, it's been a while since the controversy surrounding the filming in the churches in Rome, and the production was forced to build mock-ups of the Vatican sites in Hollywood, but it's all good.

Now the film is set for release in May, 2009. Wow, it's been quite a long haul since this all began back in 2007!

Anyway, here's a CBS News video about "Angels and Demons" tours in Rome and a puff piece by ET Online.

Let's hope the movie stays on schedule this time!