The Da Vinci Code: The Movie
 

I know nearly everyone has read the novel.

It seems like they are putting together a pretty good team to work on the movie.

Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon does not thrill me, but he always seems to come through. I'm not sure who I would rather have play Langdon, but Hanks seems a little too much like an "Average Joe" to me. Probably once I see him in character, he will become Langdon to me.

Ron Howard is signed on to direct, so I'm sure he will do a solid job.

Audrey Tautou from "Amelie" just got the job as the female lead. I think it is a good risk, as she is somewhat recognizable but not overexposed yet. She should do a good job.

The movie is scheduled to come out in May 2006.

Any thoughts on the cast (or better ideas for Langdon)?

Tautou is an excellent choice IMHO. I agree about Hanks. Doesn't quite fit the vibe of the character (to me) in the book.

Ditto. I was extremely disappointed to hear that Tom Hanks had been offered the role of Robert Langdon. Aside from Apollo 13 (which I may be biased about because of its topic), I really don't think he's that great an actor. :(

~tk

i don't see Hanks either, but yeah, he usually ends up surprising. for whatever reason, I've always imagined William Hurt...maybe because Dan Brown kind of reminds me of him.

At any rate, I like Hanks fitting more than the originally rumored lead (Russell Crowe). Would have liked to see Sophie Marceau...but not because she would have been right for the part. just because I would watch Sophie Marceau do ANYTHING.

?

I read a few times in the last couple days that Sophie Marceau (sp?) was the one cast... did this change?

Jean Reno (The Professional, Mission Impossible) is in as Fache (the investigator), which I think is also a nice piece of casting.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM love Sophie.

Tautou was announced yesterday. I think Marceau was in the running. She would have been better eye candy, but I think Tautou will do a pretty nice job.

I hadn't heard about Reno, but he fits the part really well.

Seems like Teabing would be a great role for a true "actor"-- a la a Hopkins (although he might be too old and too well put-together). What I mean is, this would be a good spot for the studio to put in another name character with a strong pedigree.

Come to think of it, even though he is proabbly going to look too old for it as well, I think Ian McKellan would be excellent for this one (and he's even English :) ).

CR

Reno is an excellent choice.

I think Michael Clarke-Duncan would've been a great Robert Langdon.

Audrey Tautou is kinda hot.

Jeff Goldblum was my choice for Langdon. he's played the somewhat attractive yet nerdy professor in the past to some success.

A little too obvious and too nerdy for my tastes though.

I have to think about this one some before I come up with any real suggestion.

Well, the actor has to be somewhat nerdy in the first place. I don't think Hanks can do the job

I always thought Pierce Brosnan could play Robert Langdon but no one else agrees with me. F you all.

has to be American.

i could just picture Goldlbum explaining all the symbology like how he would explain dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Hanks doesn't do nerdy rather convincingly. but i guess the movie will do good at the boxoffice. then again given the amount of sales i think they could have got anybody to play Langdon and people would go see it.

Actors do have these things called 'fake accents.' It's what can make me believe Colin Farrell or Kate Winslet are American without thinking twice.

Mmmmm...Colin Farrel.

Though I like the idea of Goldblum playing Langdon. That would have been a much more natural character than Tom Hanks.

~tk

is it the same thing that can make you believe Farrell's Irish accent as Greek in "Alexander"?

Brosnan has never been in a movie where he didn't use his British accent.

I didn't waste my time on Alexander (it was an obvious bad movie from a mile away). The bottom line is 'has to be American' isn't a valid argument. If he said 'has to play a convincing American' than you might have a point. I haven't seen most of his movies, so I'll assumer you're right about always using a British accent.

Back to my thoughts on the role... I would want someone pretty generic-ish who looks like they could be a professor/write without having to be overly nerdly/techincal (which I think Goldbum is). Kevin Kiline kind of popped to mind, but I think he's a tad too old for the role, though probably not by much.

well, he'd also have to have leading man good looks, because Langdon is in his 40's but still in good shape and is appealing to the ladies.

i was just responding to the Brosnan suggestion, because he's a very unAmerican actor. not right for Langdon cuz he's too good looking to be a believeable professor and he seems too lazy to learn an American accent.

how's this for a darkhorse pick: Johnny Depp. i say this only because he played a very convincing book dealer in the movie "The 9th Gate". orrrr....Viggo Mortensen. he can't live off his LOTR royalty checks forever. Viggo would make an EXCELLENT Langdon now that i think about it. think more "GI Jane" era Viggo than LOTR (give him a shave and a haircut). the mental image i had of Langdon matches Viggo closer than Hanks.

If I ever strike it rich and produce a movie, I'll let FOFC cast it. I promise.

But it will have to be my second or thirs movie. After I've already backed a few money-makers.

Just wanted to let you all know that I have NOT read this book, or the first.

Have you forgotten "Bachelor Party?" My favorite Tom Hanks movie by far. And, no, I'm not kidding.

Actually have never seen Bachelor Party (now I must go IMDB it...)

~tk

huh?

he always is a British guy. he never speaks in any other accent. which is why i shot down the idea of him being a candidate for the role of Langdon.

well, for one, he's Irish.

I think a cleaned up Viggo probably would have been a good choice. I was thinking of Thomas Jane or Aaron Eckhart, but neither of them seemed like big enough stars. Viggo is probably a little better for the box office, although with this title, the box office should be there regardless of who the star is.

I would think that 'Angels and Demons' would turn out to be a better movie than 'The Davinci Code'. :(

And personally, I think Jeff Goldblum would be a good choice for Langdon. ;)

LOLOLOLOL

Yea, but if you think about it Angels and Demons is way more racy and may offend a lot more people than the davinci code. I don't know how well everyone would respond to the whole killing of preists thing.

Well for an Irishman he's got one hell of an English accent.

I just don't get it how Tom Hanks gets no love around here. I think he is a great actor. Philadelphia, Apollo 13, Forrest Gump, Road to Paradise that just off the very top of my head. I thought he was great in all of them.

Oh speaking of great actors and Forrest Gump and Apollo 13...How about Gary Sinise as Langdon?

this is everyones cue not to bother going.

Actually, I have found in the past that you are usually 100% wrong, so that pretty much makes my decision that I WILL be going. ;)

You are joking right. Tom Hanks (IMHO) is a great actor. Though maybe this role is a stretch I am not sure. But I could not honestly say it is a disappointing choice.

Andrea Tautou (girl from Amelie) is playing the female lead.

she's good...

Hanks is good, don't get us wrong. but certain actors already have the look that coincides with the character. sometimes despite the talent certain actors are wrong for parts. like Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin in "Daredevil" was all wrong.

Doesn't seem like they're taking any chances though, for better or for worse.

Have you ever seen "A Beautiful Mind?"

didn't Ron Howard direct Forest Gump, too?

Tim Robbins (aka Mr. Susan Sarandon) was my first choice when imagining who should play Langdon. But Hanks is an OK choice, and picking Reno and Tautou in the supporting roles is brilliant.

I am way behind the trends. I just got around to ordering the book last week.

if we need to settle any disputes in the RWBL, I'm choosing Scene It as my game of choice.

Robert Zemeckis directed Forrest Gump. Howard DID direct Hanks in Apollo 13 and Splash.

Ron Howard: director and producer of many vaguely nauseating movies. Except for Willow. That was fucking awesome. :D

another Langdon suggestion: Bill Pullman

another good choice

Yeah, I guess I liked 'Angels and Demons' better because it tackled a taboo topic with questions of science, morality and faith, rather than the light Discovery Channel romp you get with The Da Vinci Code, in which Dan Brown basically just relays Da Vinci's belief regarding Magdalene and Christ.

As a whole, I loved Angels and Demons better than the Da Vinci Code, since I always saw the latter as a Dan Brown-'lite' novel.