Some novels, as good as they are don't translate well to the big screen. I thought Dan Brown's novels Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code were fantastic books and very poorly executed films. Despite the fact that both films had Academy Award winners Tom Hanks and Ron Howard behind them, the movies fell flat at the box-office and with critics. Not surprisingly, Howard has since backed out of directing the third novel that features the adventures of Robert Langdon, 2009's The Lost Symbol*. However, Tom Hanks and his wooden performance and bad haircut are on board for the third movie which recently lost writer Akiva Goldsman.
Well faster than you can say "Papal Ban" Deadline reports a new writer has already swooped in and filled Goldsman's position. It's none other than Danny Strong who's best known for...wait for it...a co-starring role on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show. Granted Goldsman wrote both the previous films, which did not pan out well so I can understand the desire for a change. At the same time, Goldsman is an Academy Award winning screenwriter, so to say this is a major downgrade is like saying Mr. Burns from The Simpsons is fiscally conservative. Both are massive understatements. How can the studio possibly think that a guy who co-starred opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar on a WB television show can save this script let alone this movie?
If Tom Hanks has any sense he should cut and run now.
*In case you're wondering "The Lost Symbol" is exclusively set in the United States and deals with the secret society of the Freemasons.
No comments:
Post a Comment