Here’s The Da Vinci Code series of movies and The Lost Symbol TV show in chronological order. The Da Vinci Code was the second novel from author Dan Brown to feature his recurring protagonist Robert Langdon, the renowned “symbologist.” The plot sees Langdon called in to investigate a murder at the Louvre that soon sees him on the run from the police, an albino assassin, and a secret society while discovering information that Jesus Christ may have fathered a child with Mary Magdalene. The book didn’t attract great reviews and was widely condemned by the church, none of which prevented it from becoming a gigantic bestseller.
It was really only a matter of time until a movie was made, and Tom Hanks eventually stepped forward to play Robert Langdon in 2006’s The Da Vinci Code. The same criticisms that dogged his books have also followed Dan Brown’s movies, with a frequent source of complaints being how the narrative essentially stops dead every so often while characters can explain the plot. Moviegoers clearly didn’t mind as the movie grossed over $750 million worldwide and paved the way for a movie franchise. And with the streaming wars in full force, it’s not surprising that a move to television also happened for Dan Brown’s hero Robert Langdon.
The Da Vinci Code Series In Chronological Order
- The Lost Symbol (2021)
- The Da Vinci Code (2006)
- Angels & Demons (2009)
- Inferno (2016)
Angels & Demons was actually the first novel in Dan Brown’s book series but was reworked to be a sequel following the success of the first installment of The Da Vinci Code series. Ron Howard — who directed all three movies — clearly took criticisms of the first movie to heart too, and ensured the sequel moved at a quicker pace and didn’t get overly bogged down in exposition. This might be why Angels & Demons received arguably the best reviews of the Robert Langdon movie trilogy.
It’s certainly much more enjoyable than 2016’s Inferno, which sees Langdon suffering from some plot convenient amnesia while racing against time to stop a plot that will wipe out half the planet’s population. Inferno’s story barely holds together, and the movie occasionally drags even more than The Da Vinci Code. It’s somewhat helped by performances from Felicity Jones and the late Irrfan Khan, but it’s the weakest of the franchise and has the gross to match. It appears Tom Hanks’ reign as Robert Langdon is over now, with Ashley Zukerman taking over playing the character who debuted in The Da Vinci Code – whether more outings are likely depended on the reception and success of The Lost Symbol TV show. However, it was canceled after only one season.
Was The Da Vinci Code Franchise Successful
None of The Da Vinci Code series of Robert Langdon centered films and TV show have received spectacular reviews by critics, but they’ve mostly been hits. That said, there was a noticeable downturn in profit with each entry. While plans for a fourth Robert Langdon movie currently appear not to be on the cards, the original plans for the third installment, Inferno, were to adapt an entirely different Dan Brown book – The Lost Symbol. Director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks abandoned that plan, stating that the material went over too much of the same ground as The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, and opted to adapt the newer book in the franchise.
However, those abandoned placs weren’t scrapped entirely, and The Lost Symbol eventually making its way into a TV format, with some major changes, including moving its appearance in the timeline to be a prequel to Da Vinci Code, including recasting Robert Langdon with a younger Ashley Zuckerman (Succession, Fear Street). The TV show saw Langdon investigating the actions of the Freemasons and searching for his abducted friend and mentor (Eddie Izzard), had middling to positive reviews (far better than the movies fared critically). Unfortunately though, this too was canceled. Despite being a cultural phenomenon, it’s still impossible to state with certainty whether The Da Vinci Code franchise can be considered a successful one.
The Da Vinci Code Series’ Future Is Uncertain
The future of The Da Vinci Code series hangs in the balance after The Lost Symbol was canceled only one season in. The Da Vinci Code TV show had a very brief run on the streaming service Peacock, and there have been various reasons listed as to why the show was canned. Firstly, The Lost Symbol reviews were mostly less-than-positive. While the show started out relatively strong, the season started to wane and suffer for the same reasons that The Da Vinci Code series often did, something critics were quick to point out. Therefore, as the show went on it received more and more negative reviews and audience interest began to dissipate.
The disappointingly low ratings eventually brought The Lost Symbol TV show to a close, and the rest is ancient history. The other reason is that Peacock has said that in one season, the show has done what it set out to do. However, making The Lost Symbol into a miniseries probably isn’t what showrunners really had in mind, as the narrative very much feels like it’s beginning to build something grander. Nonetheless, this is the reasoning that Peacock gave for canceling The Lost Symbol. Since there’s not even a whisper of other sequels, prequels, or spin-offs in the work, it’s pretty clear that The Da Vinci Code‘s Robert Langdon won’t be returning to the screen any time soon.
