Tom Hanks, once again donning the flowing locks of Robert Langdon in new Dan Brown adaptation Inferno, will be joined by Felicity Jones for his next romp through ancient symbols and contemporary evil.
Directed once again by Ron Howard, following The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, Jones is confirmed following talks for the role last year. It’s the second blockbuster role she’s picked up in recent weeks, following the announcement that she’ll be starring in a Star Wars spinoff film. She’s one of the big Brit contenders at this year’s Academy awards, nominated for best actress for her role as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything.
Other just-confirmed additions to the cast include French actor Omar Sy, who since his breakout performance in Untouchable – which became the second highest-grossing film ever in France – has stepped up to Hollywood films like X-Men: Days of Future Past and the forthcoming Jurassic World. The latter also features another actor who’s signed up to Inferno, Bollywood star Irrfan Khan.
In the book, badass religious professor Langdon must try and foil a plot by a mad scientist obsessed with Dante’s vision of hell, and as is Langdon’s wont, he hares around various iconic Italian locations decoding historical arcana to try and prevent armageddon. Full of product placement and descriptions of Venice as “one of the most spectacular and unique cities in the world”, Brown’s novel was derided by critics but became another bestseller.
It is actually the fourth book in the Langdon series, with the third, The Lost Symbol, previously slated for a Howard-produced adaptation which is now on hold, despite Brown himself being hired to rewrite the script.
