'Angels and Demons' gets the Da Vinci treatment

Akiva Goldsman will adapt Dan Brown's first religious thriller.

May 23 2006

In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, Sony has announced plans to adapt Dan Brown's first religious thriller, 'Angels & Demons', for the big screen.

The 2000 book first introduced mulleted Harvard professor/code cracker Robert Langdon before he went onto bigger and better things in 'The Da Vinci Code'.

And following that film's incredible worldwide opening haul, Sony immediately signed up screenwriter Akiva Goldsman to adapt the original book.

Producing team Brian Grazer and John Calley have also climbed aboard the project, while star Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard will have first refusal on the feature.

As for the plot (which bears more than a passing resemblance to 'The Da Vinci Code's'), Langdon is called upon to solve a murder and unravel a conspiracy by an ancient secret society, the Illuminati, to bring down the Catholic Church. Sounds like another critical failure/commercial success to us!