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Inferno is a 2016 American mysteryactionthriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by David Koepp, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Dan Brown. The film is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code (2006) and Angels & Demons (2009), and is the third and final installment in the Robert Langdon film series. It stars Tom Hanks, reprising his role as Robert Langdon, alongside Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ben Foster, and Irrfan Khan. Together with the previous film, it remains Hanks' only live-action sequel.

Filming began on April 27, 2015, in Venice, Italy, and wrapped on July 21, 2015, in Budapest. The film premiered in Florence on October 9, 2016, and was released in the United States on October 28, 2016, ten years after release of The Da Vinci Code, in 2D and IMAX formats.^[3] The film received generally negative reviews from critics, but grossed $220 million against a production budget of $75 million.^[4][2]

• 3Production
• 4Release

Plot[edit]

Harvard University professor Robert Langdon awakens in a hospital room in Florence, Italy, with no memory of what has transpired over the last few days, but being plagued with hellish visions. Dr. Sienna Brooks, one of the doctors tending to him, reveals that he is suffering from amnesia as a result of a bullet wound to the head. Another doctor says the police are there to question Langdon but the officer turns out to be Vayentha, an assassin, who shoots the doctor while heading down the hall. Sienna helps Langdon to escape, and they flee to her apartment.

Among Langdon's personal belongings, Langdon and Sienna find a Faraday pointer, a miniature image projector with a modified version of Sandro Botticelli's Map of Hell, which itself is based on Dante's Inferno. They soon realize this is the first clue in a trail left by Bertrand Zobrist, a dangerously unstable billionaire geneticist who believed that rigorous measures were necessary to reduce the Earth's growing population, and who committed suicide three days earlier after being chased by armed government agents.

Langdon and Sienna figure out that Zobrist, who was obsessed with Dante, has created a viral superweapon he has dubbed 'Inferno', with the potential of annihilating half the world's population. In the meantime, they have been traced by both Vayentha and agents from the World Health Organization (WHO), who try to raid the apartment, forcing them to flee again. The WHO agents are headed by Elizabeth Sinskey, an old lover of Langdon's, and are trying to prevent the release of the virus. Vayentha reports to her employer Harry Sims, the CEO of a private security company called 'The Consortium', who is acting on behalf of Zobrist, who gives her instructions to kill Langdon as he had become a liability.

Langdon's knowledge of Dante's work and history, and of hidden passages in Florence, allows the two to follow clues such as letters and phrases which lead to various locations in Florence and Venice, while inadvertently killing Vayentha and evading the WHO. Along the way, Langdon discovers that he helped a friend of his steal and hide the Dante death mask, a crucial clue, an event he also does not remember. Zobrist had provided Sims with a video message about the virus, to be broadcast after it has been released. Shocked by its content, Sims allies with Sinskey to prevent the outbreak. However, Langdon and Sienna are contacted by Christoph Bouchard, a man purporting to be working for WHO, warning them that Sinskey has a double agenda and is after the Inferno virus for her own profit. The three cooperate for a while, until Langdon realizes that Bouchard is lying and seeking to profit from Inferno himself, forcing the duo to flee on their own again.

Langdon figures out that the virus is in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. With that knowledge, Sienna abandons Langdon, revealing that she was Zobrist's lover and that she will ensure the release of the virus. Zobrist and Sienna used to play treasure hunt games; this trail was the backup plan in case something happened to Zobrist. Langdon is recaptured by Bouchard, but Sims kills Bouchard and rescues Langdon, who then re-teams with Sinskey, who asked him for help in interpreting the imagery from the Faraday pointer. Sims reveals he was hired by Sienna to kidnap Langdon when Zobrist had been killed, and drugged with benzodiazepine to induce a memory loss; the events in the hospital were all staged.

They realize the virus is in a plastic bag hidden under water in the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. The WHO team – joined by Langdon, Sims, and Sinskey – race to locate and secure the bag, while Sienna and her allies attempt to detonate an explosive that will rupture the bag and aerosolize the virus. Sims is killed by Sienna, and when Langdon confronts her, she attempts to release the virus by triggering a suicide bombing. The detonation is able to rupture the bag but because it was already contained in a special containment unit, the virus was secured in time, and after struggling in vain against Sinskey and Langdon to destroy the container, Sienna's allies are killed. The virus is then taken by WHO, and Langdon goes back to Florence in order to return the Dante Death Mask.

Cast[edit]

• Tom Hanks as Dr. Robert Langdon, a professor of symbology at Harvard University.^[5]
• Felicity Jones as Dr. Sienna Brooks, a doctor who helps Langdon escape.^[6]
• Omar Sy as Christoph Bouchard, head of the SRS team (Surveillance and Response Support), of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.^[6]
• Ben Foster as Bertrand Zobrist, a transhumanist scientist, intent on solving the world's overpopulation problem.^[7][8]
• Sidse Babett Knudsen as Elizabeth Sinskey, head of the World Health Organization.^[6]
• Irrfan Khan as Harry 'The Provost' Sims, head of The Consortium, helping Zobrist in his mission.^[6]
• Paul Ritter as CRC Tech Arbogast, right hand man to Sims.
• Ana Ularu as Vayentha, The Consortium's agent in Florence who has orders to follow Langdon.^[8]

Production[edit]

On July 16, 2013, Columbia Pictures set Ron Howard to direct Dan Brown's fourth novel in the Robert Langdon series, Inferno, with David Koepp writing the script.^[9]Imagine Entertainment was set to produce the film, while Tom Hanks was again set to reprise his role as Robert Langdon.^[9] On August 26, 2014, Sony had finalized the deal with Howard and Hanks, and set the film for April start of production in Italy.^[5]Brian Grazer was also set to produce the film with Howard.^[5]

On December 2, Felicity Jones was in early talks to join the film.^[10] On February 17, 2015, studio revealed the confirmed cast for the film, including Jones as Dr. Sienna Brooks, Omar Sy as Christoph Bruder, Irrfan Khan as Harry 'The Provost' Sims, and Sidse Babett Knudsen as Elizabeth Sinskey, head of the World Health Organization.^[6]Ben Foster was set for an unspecified villainous role on March 10, 2015, which later revealed to be the role of Bertrand Zobrist.^[7]

Filming[edit]

Filming began on April 27, 2015, in Venice, Italy,^[11] and continued in Florence, Italy, starting at the end of April. Outdoor scenes featuring Hanks were filmed near the Palazzo Vecchio and elsewhere in the historic center of the city, starting on May 2, 2015. Some second unit stunts were filmed at an apartment building close to the Ponte Vecchio, in Florence. Low-flying aerial shots of Florence landmarks, its river and bridges were filmed on May 11, 2015.^[12] A sequence displayed in an early trailer features a Padova railway station sign, but locals immediately recognized the scene as recreated somewhere else.^[13] As of June 5, 2015, most of the film was planned to be shot in Budapest, Hungary at Korda Studios.^[14] Filming wrapped on July 21, 2015.^[15]

During location filming, its production codename was 'Headache', a reference to a concussion suffered by Langdon early in the story.^[12][16]

Release[edit]

In July 2013, Sony set the film a release date for December 18, 2015.^[9] However, due to the date clash with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the release date was moved to October 14, 2016.^[17] In early 2016, the release date was pushed back two more weeks to October 28, 2016.^[18] It was released in both 2D and 3D formats.^[19]

On May 9, 2016, Sony Pictures released the first teaser trailer for the film.^[20] The film premiered in Florence, Italy on October 8, 2016, at the New Opera Theater^[21] and also held a premiere in India on October 13, 2016, due to the popularity of actor Irrfan Khan.^[22]

Box office[edit]

Inferno grossed $34.3 million in the United States and Canada and $185.7 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $220 million, against a production budget of $75 million.^[2]

In the United States and Canada, Inferno was initially expected to top the box office with around $25 million from 3,546 theaters in its opening weekend.^[23][24] It made $800,000 from Thursday night previews and $5.6 million on its first day, lowering weekend projections to $15 million. It ended up opening to $14.9 million, finishing second at the box office behind Boo! A Madea Halloween and marked the fourth straight domestic disappointment for director Ron Howard.^[25]

Internationally, the film was released two weeks ahead of its North American debut, across 53 overseas markets (about 66% of its total international market) in order to avoid competition from Disney/Marvel Studios' Doctor Strange. It finished at first place at the box office in 45 of those countries. In total, it opened to $49.7 million, of which $2.6 million came from IMAX theaters, the second biggest amount of October.^[26][27] It fell 49% in its second weekend, earning $28.9 million from 58 markets and was surpassed by Jack Reacher: Never Go Back at the chart.^[28] Italy, where the film was partly shot, delivered the biggest opening with $5 million. This was followed by Germany ($4.4 million), where it competed for No. 1 with the animated Finding Dory. Russia similarly opened to $4.4 million, followed by the United Kingdom and Ireland ($3.8 million), Spain ($2 million) and the Netherlands ($1.2 million).^[26]Inferno's £2.97 million debut in the U.K. is considerably less than the first (£9.50 million) and the second film (£6.05 million).^[29] In Latin America, the film debuted in first in all 11 markets, earning a combined $9 million. Brazil led with $4 million, followed by Mexico ($2.6 million).^[26] Similarly in South East Asia, it saw top openings in six out of seven markets for a combined $6 million. Japan ($3.3 million), Taiwan ($1.7 million), India ($1.9 million) and Indonesia ($1 million) posted the biggest debuts.^[26] In China, it opened at number one with $13.3 million.^[30] In the Oceania region, Australia launched with $1.8 million. Inferno opened to number one across the Middle East for a regional total of $1.8 million.^[26] The film opened in Franceon November 9 and grossed $24.3 million on its opening weekend.^[31]

Critical reception[edit]

Inferno received generally negative reviews from critics.^[32] On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 23% based on 239 reviews; the average rating is 4.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, 'Senselessly frantic and altogether shallow, Inferno sends the Robert Langdon trilogy spiraling to a convoluted new low.'^[33] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 42 out of 100 based on 47 critics, indicating 'mixed or average reviews'.^[34] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of 'B+' on an A+ to F scale.^[35]

British film critic Mark Kermode gave the film a negative review, calling it, 'intergalactically stupid'.^[36] Cinema Blend wrote Inferno is 'insufferable. And while you're obviously meant to take Inferno with a dash of salt, it's so preposterously stupid and dumb that this rancid popcorn flick becomes increasingly nauseating the further you taste.'^[37]Lane serial number lookup.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Inferno (12A)'. British Board of Film Classification. July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
2. ^ ^abcd'Inferno (2016)'. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
3. ^'Inferno'. www.imax.com.
4. ^'Was Inferno a Box Office Success?'. Screen Rant. November 17, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
5. ^ ^abcFleming Jr, Mike (August 26, 2014). 'Sony Pictures Locks Tom Hanks, Ron Howard For April 'Inferno' Start'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
6. ^ ^abcdeHipes, Patrick (February 17, 2015). 'Robert Langdon Pic 'Inferno' Adds Omar Sy & More As Cast Goes Global'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
7. ^ ^abKit, Borys (March 10, 2015). 'Ben Foster Joining Tom Hanks in 'Inferno' (Exclusive)'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
8. ^ ^ab''Da Vinci Code' Sequel 'Inferno' Starring Tom Hanks Starts Filming In Italy: See Behind-The-Scenes PHOTOS'. Fashion & Style. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
9. ^ ^abcKilday, Gregg (July 16, 2013). 'Sony Sets Release Date for Film Adaptation of Dan Brown's 'Inferno''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
10. ^Jaafar, Ali (December 2, 2014). 'Felicity Jones In Early Talks To Join 'Inferno' With Tom Hanks'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
11. ^Lesnick, Silas (April 27, 2015). 'Production Begins on Ron Howard's Da Vinci Code Sequel, Inferno'. ComingSoon.net. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
12. ^ ^ab'Inferno, riprese in città: attenzione c'è il 'rischio' di finire nel film' [Inferno, location shooting in the city: beware of 'risk' of ending up in the film]. Firenze Today (in Italian). May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
13. ^'Tom Hanks inseguito in stazione? Non è Padova quella in 'Inferno'' [Tom Hanks chased in Padua's train station? That's not Padua]. Il Mattino di Padova (in Italian). May 11, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
14. ^'Tom Hanks To Move To Budapest For Shooting Of New Movie 'Inferno''. Hungary Today. January 16, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
15. ^Ron Howard [@RealRonHoward] (July 21, 2015). 'Wrapped #InfernoMovie and now heading into the editing rooms. #TomHanks #FelicityJones & Co were a blast pic.twitter.com/QKM1U2TLII' (Tweet). Retrieved July 27, 2015 – via Twitter.
16. ^'San Marco torna set cinematografico Ron Howard dirige Tom Hanks' [San Marco back film set Ron Howard directs Tom Hanks]. Il Gazzettino (in Italian). April 27, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
17. ^Sneider, Jeff (October 9, 2014). 'Tom Hanks, Ron Howard's 'Inferno' Moves Off 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Release Date'. TheWrap. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
18. ^Gallagher, Brian (February 17, 2016). ''The Ring' Sequel 'Rings' Gets a New Halloween Release Date'. MovieWeb. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
19. ^'October 2016 Releases'. Film Distributors' Association. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
20. ^Sony Pictures Entertainment (May 9, 2016), INFERNO - Teaser Trailer (HD), retrieved May 10, 2016
21. ^FOTI, TITTI GIULIANI (October 8, 2016). 'Cinema: Inferno, red carpet stile Hollywood a Firenze, Tom Hanks superstar / FOTO - La Nazione'.
22. ^Team, Fabnewz (September 29, 2016). ''Inferno' to Release in India First, Due to Irrfan Khan's Popularity'.
23. ^'Will 'Madea' Kick 'Jack Reacher' In The Shins? – Box Office Preview'. Deadline Hollywood.
24. ^'Box Office: Tom Hanks' 'Inferno' Looks to Ignite With $25 Million Debut'. Variety.
25. ^''Inferno' Takes on the World Series as 'Doctor Strange' Debuts Overseas'. Box Office Mojo.
26. ^ ^abcdeNancy Tartaglione (October 16, 2016). ''Inferno' Ignites With $50M Offshore; 'Miss Peregrine' Tops $130M – Intl Box Office'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
27. ^Pamela McClintock (October 30, 2016). 'Weekend Box Office: 'Inferno' Loses to 'Madea' in Stunning Halloween Upset'. The Hollywood Reporter.
28. ^Nancy Tartaglione (October 23, 2016). ''Jack Reacher' Cuffs $31M; 'Girl', 'Inferno', 'Peregrine' At Milestones – Intl Box Office'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
29. ^Charles Gant (October 18, 2016). 'The Girl on the Train still UK's top ticket as Bridget Jones's Baby makes history'. The Guardian. London. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
30. ^Nancy Tartaglione (October 30, 2016). ''Doctor Strange' Brews $86M In Overseas Bow; Tops Comps, Sets IMAX Records – International Box Office Update'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
31. ^'France and Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia Box Office Index'. Box Office Mojo. IMDb. 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
32. ^''Inferno' Critical Roundup: Reviewers Unimpressed With 'Fantastically Boring' Thriller'. IndieWire.
33. ^'Inferno (2016)'. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
34. ^'Inferno Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
35. ^'CinemaScore'. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
36. ^'Inferno reviewed by Mark Kermode'. YouTube. October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
37. ^'Inferno is preposterously stupid'. Cinema Blend. October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.

External links[edit]

• Inferno on IMDb
• Inferno at AllMovie
• Inferno at Box Office Mojo
• Inferno at Rotten Tomatoes
• Inferno at Metacritic
• Inferno at the TCM Movie Database

Angels & Demons is a 2009 American mysterythriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman and David Koepp, based on Dan Brown's novel of the same title. It is the sequel to the 2006 film The Da Vinci Code, also directed by Howard, and the second installment in the Robert Langdon film series. The novel was published first and The Da Vinci Code novel followed it. Filming took place in Rome, Italy, and the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Professor Robert Langdon. Producer Brian Grazer, composer Hans Zimmer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman also return, with David Koepp coming on board to help the latter.

The film grossed $485 million worldwide and received generally mixed reviews from critics.^[3] A sequel, titled Inferno, was released on October 28, 2016.

• 3Production
• 6Reception
  • 6.3Catholic Church response

Plot[edit]

At CERN, Father Silvano and Dr. Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) create three canisters of antimatter. Silvano is murdered, and one of the canisters is stolen. The Roman Catholic Church mourn the sudden death of Pope Pius XVI, and prepare for the papal conclave to elect his successor in Vatican City. Father Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor), the Camerlengo, takes control of the Vatican. Four of the 'preferiti', the favoured candidates to be Pope, are kidnapped by a man claiming to represent the Illuminati. He sends the Vatican a warning, claiming he will murder each of the cardinals from 8pm to midnight, when the stolen antimatter will explode and destroy the city, hidden somewhere within.

American symbologist Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is brought to the Vatican to help. He deduces that the four cardinals will be murdered on the four altars of the 'Path of Illumination', in locations relevant to the classical elements. McKenna gives Langdon access to the Vatican Secret Archives to research the altars, against the wishes of Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgård), head of the Swiss Guard. He and Vittoria examine Galileo Galilei's banned book, following clues to the Chigi Chapel, accompanied by Ernesto Olivetti (Pierfrancesco Favino) and Claudio Vincenzi (David Pasquesi) of the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City. They find Cardinal Ebner dead, having suffocated on a mouthful of dirt and branded with the ambigrammatic word 'Earth'.

The second, Cardinal Lamassé, is murdered in St. Peter's Square, his lungs punctured and branded with 'Air'. Vittoria suspects the Pope was actually murdered via overdose, she and McKenna confirming this by secretly inspecting his body. Langdon, Olivetti, and Vincenzi eventually identify the Santa Maria della Vittoria as the altar of fire, finding Cardinal Guidera burning to death, branded with “Fire”. The assassin appears, killing Olivetti and Vincenzi, before escaping to drown Cardinal Baggia (Marco Fiorini) in the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. Langdon and civilians intervene, rescuing Baggia, who tells Langdon the preferiti were held in Castel Sant'Angelo.

Richter confiscates Dr. Silvano's journals, thus convincing Vittoria that he is a conspirator. Langdon, Vittoria, and the police storm Castel Sant'Angelo. Langdon and Vittoria find the assassin's lair, discovering five brands, the last meant for McKenna. The assassin (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) escapes, claiming his contractors are 'men of God'. Guided to a car by his unseen contractor, the assassin dies when the vehicle explodes upon ignition. Langdon and Vittoria find a secret passageway leading to the Vatican, warning the Swiss Guard of McKenna's fate. They find Richter hovering over a branded McKenna. He, and Archbishop Simeon, an alleged conspirator, are killed. Langdon retrieves a key from the dying Richter's hand.

The antimatter container is found in Saint Peter's tomb, but will detonate in five minutes, the cold temperature preventing its battery from being charged in time. McKenna flees the Vatican with the canister, piloting a helicopter into the sky, then parachutes out seconds before the antimatter detonates. McKenna is hailed as a hero, with calls for him to be elected as Pope.

Langdon and Vittoria retrieve Silvano's journals from Richter's office, finding he kept tabs on the Pope with hidden security cameras. They find footage of Richter confronting McKenna, revealing the Camerlengo is the mastermind behind the attacks. The Pope had invited Silvano to publicly present the antimatter as proof of a divine power, bridging the gap between religion and science. Considering such a claim blasphemy, McKenna orchestrated the Pope's death, and hired the Illuminati assassin, plotting to have himself elected as Pope. The footage is shown to the papal conclave. McKenna, realising he has been exposed, commits suicide via self-immolation.

The Vatican announces McKenna died from injuries from his parachute landing, and Baggia is elected as Pope Luke I. Cardinal Strauss, the Pope's new Camerlengo, gives Langdon the 'Diagramma Veritatis' as thanks for his help, and allows him to complete his scholarly work on Galileo. The new Pope gives Langdon and Vittoria a thankful nod, before stepping out on the balcony to greet the crowd below.

Cast[edit]

• Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, a Harvard University professor of symbology.
• Ewan McGregor as Father Patrick McKenna, the Camerlengo.
• Ayelet Zurer as Dr. Vittoria Vetra, a CERN scientist whose antimatter experiment has been stolen by the Illuminati.
• Stellan Skarsgård as Commander Maximilian Richter, head of the Swiss Guard.
• Pierfrancesco Favino as Inspector General Ernesto Olivetti of the Gendarme Corps of Vatican City State.
• Nikolaj Lie Kaas as The Assassin
• Armin Mueller-Stahl as Cardinal Strauss, Dean of the College of Cardinals and the Papal Conclave.
• Thure Lindhardt as Lieutenant Chartrand, officer of the Swiss Guard.
• David Pasquesi as Claudio Vincenzi, a Vatican police officer sent to summon Langdon.
• Cosimo Fusco as Archbishop Simeon, Prefect of the Papal Household.
• Victor Alfieri as Lieutenant Valenti, a Carabinieri officer who takes Langdon to the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
• Carmen Argenziano as Father Silvano Bentivoglio, a Catholic priest and a CERN scientist who performed the antimatter experiment along with Dr. Vetra.
• Marco Fiorini as Cardinal Baggia/Pope Luke I, one of the four Preferiti and a cardinal from Milan, Italy and the favorite to succeed as the new pope.
• Bob Yerkes as Cardinal Guidera, one of the four Preferiti and a cardinal from Barcelona, Spain.
• Franklin Amobi as Cardinal Lamassé, one of the four Preferiti and a cardinal from Paris, France.
• Curt Lowens as Cardinal Ebner, one of the four Preferiti and a cardinal from Frankfurt, Germany.
• Todd Schneider as a Carabiniere, Lieutenant Valenti's partner who along with him takes Langdon to the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
• Anna Katarina as Docent, the Pantheon tour guide who tells Langdon the name of the first church.
• Howard Mungo as Cardinal Yoruba
• Rance Howard as Cardinal Beck
• Steve Franken as Cardinal Colbert
• Gino Conforti as Cardinal Pugini
• Elya Baskin as Cardinal Petrov

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

In 2003, Sony Pictures acquired the film rights to Angels & Demons along with The Da Vinci Code in a deal with author Dan Brown. In May 2006, following the release of the 2006 film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, Sony Pictures hired screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who wrote the film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, to adapt Angels & Demons.^[4] Filming was originally to begin in February 2008 and was originally going to be released on December 19, 2008,^[5] but because of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the film was pushed back for May 15, 2009.^[6]David Koepp rewrote the script before shooting began.^[7]

Director Ron Howard chose to treat Angels & Demons as a sequel to the previous film, rather than a prequel, since many had read the novel after The Da Vinci Code. He liked the idea that Langdon had been through one adventure and become a more confident character.^[8] Howard was also more comfortable taking liberties in adapting the story because the novel is less popular than The Da Vinci Code.^[9] Producer Brian Grazer said they were too 'reverential' when adapting The Da Vinci Code, which resulted in it being 'a little long and stagey.' This time, 'Langdon doesn't stop and give a speech. When he speaks, he's in motion.'^[10] Howard concurred 'it's very much about modernity clashing with antiquity and technology vs. faith, so these themes, these ideas are much more active whereas the other one lived so much in the past. The tones are just innately so different between the two stories.'^[9]

Differences between novel and film[edit]

• In the novel, the papal conclave attracts relatively little public attention. In the wake of the huge international interest in the 2005 election of Pope Benedict XVI, this was judged to be out of date.^[11] The character of CERN Director Maximillian Kohler does not appear in the film. The Italian Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca is changed to the Irish Patrick McKenna, portrayed by Ewan McGregor. The Boeing X-33 that takes Langdon from the United States to Geneva and then to Rome is absent in the film. In the novel, Commander Olivetti is the commander of Swiss Guard, and his second in command is Captain Rocher, whereas in the film, Richter is the head of the Swiss Guard. In the novel, the Assassin contacts members of the BBC in order to influence how they present the story of his activities, but this does not happen in the film. The character Leonardo Vetra is named Silvano Bentivoglio in the film, is not related to Vittoria and his death scene is changed. Vittoria is a love interest for Langdon in the novel while there is no attraction present in the film. In the novel Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca is revealed to be the late pope's biological son, while in the film he is his adoptive son.^[12]
• In the film, the Camerlengo briefly acknowledges Langdon's involvement in some events of the previous film when in the book it does not, as the events in The Da Vinci Code are yet to take place. This is due to the fact the first novel in the film series was adapted to film after the second book rather than in the order of first-to-last.
• In the book, the assassin has Middle Eastern looks whereas in the movie he is portrayed by a Danish actor. In the film, he is killed by a car bomb, whereas in the book he falls from a balcony at the top of the Castel Sant Angelo and breaks his back on a pile of marble cannonballs which eventually kills him.
• In the novel, Vittoria is kidnapped, whereas in the film, she accompanies Langdon almost everywhere. In the book, all four preferiti are killed by the assassin and eventually the high elector, Cardinal Saverio Mortati, is elected as the new pope, whereas in the film, the fourth preferito, Cardinal Baggia, is saved by Langdon and is elected the new pope. The high elector, renamed Cardinal Strauss, becomes the Camerlengo to the new pope.
• In the book, the fifth brand is one that incorporates all four words from the previous four, whereas in the film, the fifth brand is the crossed keys, symbolic of the Papacy.
• The means by which the heroes discover the location of the bomb is significantly different. In the book, the Camerlengo feigns a religious vision from god, telling him where to find the bomb. In the film, he feeds Langdon a clue to the bomb's location by branding himself with an upside-down version of the papal keys, which Langdon successfully deduces is a metaphor for Saint Peter, the first pope, who was crucified upside-down.
• In the book, Langdon stows away on the Camerlengo's helicopter, and just before the antimatter explosion, jumps out using a makeshift parachute, and lands on Isola Tiberina, whose mythical healing powers heal the injuries he incurs from the fall. In the film, Langdon does not get on the helicopter.
• In the book's closing scenes, a Swiss Guard hands Langdon the fifth brand, the Illuminati diamond, as a gift. In the film, the new Camerlengo hands over Galileo's book to Langdon.

Filming[edit]

Shooting began on June 4, 2008, in Rome under the fake working titleObelisk.^[13] The filmmakers scheduled three weeks of exterior location filming because of a predicted 2008 Screen Actors Guild strike on June 30. The rest of the film would be shot at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, to allow for this halt.^[14] Roman Catholic Church officials found The Da Vinci Code offensive and forbade filming in their churches, so these scenes were shot at Sony.^[13] The Caserta Palace doubled for the inside of the Vatican,^[13] and the Biblioteca Angelica was used for the Vatican Library.^[15] Filming took place at the University of California, Los Angeles in July.^[16] Sony and Imagine Entertainment organized an eco-friendly shoot, selecting when to shoot locations based on how much time and fuel it would save, using cargo containers to support set walls or greenscreens, as well as storing props for future productions or donating them to charity.^[17]

Howard hated that the Writers Guild strike forced him to delay shooting the film until summer. However, the quick shoot allowed him to refine the naturalism he had employed on his previous film Frost/Nixon, often using handheld cameras to lend an additional energy to the scenes.

Hanks interrupted filming of one scene in order to help Australian bride Natalia Dearnley get through the crowds to her wedding on time.^[18] McGregor said the Pope's funeral was the dullest sequence to film, as they were just walking across staircases. Then, 'Someone started singing 'Bohemian Rhapsody' [and] it became the funeral theme tune.'^[8]

When recreating the interior of St. Peter's Basilica, production designer Allan Cameron and visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton recognized the 80 ft (24 m) tall soundstages were only half the size of the real church. They rebuilt the area around and the crypts beneath St. Peter's baldachin, including the bottoms of the columns and Saint Peter's statue, and surrounded it with a 360 degree greenscreen so the rest could be built digitally. Cameron had twenty crew members, posing as members of the public, photograph as much as they could inside the Sistine Chapel, and had artists sketch, photograph and enlarge recreations of the paintings and mosaics from the photographs. Cameron chose to present the Sistine Chapel as it was before the restoration of its frescoes, because he preferred the contrast the smoky, muted colors would present with the cardinals. Although the chapel was built to full size, the Sala Regia was made smaller to fit inside the stage.^[19]

The Saint Peter's Square and the Piazza Navona sets were built on the same backlot; after completion of scenes at the former, six weeks were spent converting the set, knocking down the Basilica side and excavating 3¹⁄₂ ft (1 m) of tarmac to build the fountain. As there had been filming at the real Piazza Navona, the transition between it and the replica had to be seamless. To present the Santa Maria del Popolo undergoing renovation, a police station in Rome opposite the real church was used for the exterior; the scaffolding would hide that it was not the church. Cameron built the interior of Santa Maria del Popolo on the same set as the recreated Santa Maria della Vittoria to save money; the scaffolding also disguised this. The film's version of Santa Maria della Vittoria was larger than the real one, so it would accommodate the cranes used to film the scene. To film the Pantheon's interior, two aediculae and the tomb of Raphael were rebuilt to scale at a height of 30 ft (9 m), while the rest was greenscreen. Because of the building's symmetrical layout, the filmmakers were able to shoot the whole scene over two days and redress the real side to pretend it was another.^[19] The second unit took photographs of the Large Hadron Collider and pasted these in scenes set at CERN.^[20]

Music[edit]

Angels & Demons: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on May 22, 2009.^[21]

Hans Zimmer returned to compose the score for the sequel. He chose to develop the 'Chevaliers de Sangreal' track from the end of The Da Vinci Code as Langdon's main theme in the film, featuring prominently in the tracks 'God Particle ' and '503'. The soundtrack also features violinist Joshua Bell.

Home media and different versions[edit]

The DVD was released on November 24, 2009 in several countries as a theatrical version and extended cut.

Angels & Demons was also released on UMD for the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) on October 21, 2009.

The extended cut includes violent scenes which had been cut out to secure a PG-13 rating.^{[citation needed]} In the UK, the already censored US theatrical version had to be censored further in order to obtain a BBFC 12A rating.^{[citation needed]} The Blu-ray includes the original theatrical version and is classified BBFC 15.

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

Overseas, Angels & Demons maintained the #1 position for the second weekend as well even with the release of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, which opened at #2. The film opened with $46 million at the US and Canada box office. The Da Vinci Code had opened in the US and Canada to $77.1 million, but the sequel's opening met Columbia's $40–50 million prediction, since the film's source material was not as popular as its predecessor's. Within more than a month, the film grossed $478,869,160 worldwide, making it the largest-grossing film of 2009 until it was surpassed by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.^[22][23] Of this $478 million, just over 27% of it is from venues in the US and Canada, giving the film high worldwide totals, with over $30 million in the UK, $21 million in Spain, $13 million in Brazil, $13 million in Russia, $34 million in Japan, and $47 million in Germany.^[24]Angels & Demons was the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2009, with box-office figures of $485,930,810 worldwide.^[25]

Critical response[edit]

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 37% of 249 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's general consensus is that 'Angels & Demons is a fast-paced thrill ride, and an improvement on the last Dan Brown adaptation, but the storyline too often wavers between implausible and ridiculous, and does not translate effectively to the big screen.'^[26]Metacritic has a rating score of 48 out of 100 based on 36 reviews.^[27]BBC critic Mark Kermode criticized the film's 'silliness', saying 'Whereas the original movie featured Hanks standing around in darkened rooms explaining the plot to anyone who was still awake, this second salvo cranks up the action by having Tom explain the plot while running—a major breakthrough.'^[28]

Richard Corliss of Time gave the film a positive review, stating that 'Angels & Demons has elemental satisfactions in its blend of movie genre that could appeal to wide segments of the audience.'^[29]Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three stars, praising Howard's direction as an 'even-handed job of balancing the scales' and claiming '[the film] promises to entertain.'^[30]The Christian Science Monitor gave the film a positive review, claiming the movie is 'an OK action film.'^[31] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film two-and-a-half out of four stars claiming 'the movie can be enjoyed for the hell-raising hooey it is.'^[32] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal gave the film a mixed review, claiming it 'manages to keep you partially engaged even at its most esoteric or absurd.'^[33]

Neil Smith from Total Film gave the film four out of five stars, saying 'some of the author's crazier embellishments are jettisoned in a film that atones for The Da Vinci Code's cardinal sin — thou shalt not bore.'^[34]Kim Newman awarded it three out of five stars, stating 'every supporting character acts like an unhelpful idiot to keep the plot stirring, while yet again a seemingly all-powerful conspiracy seems to consist of two whole evil guys.'^[35]

Catholic Church response[edit]

CBS News interviewed a priest working in Santa Susanna, who stated the Church did not want their churches to be associated with scenes of murder. A tour guide also stated most priests do not object to tourists who visit out of interest after reading the book, a trend which will continue after people see the film. 'I think they are aware that it's.. a work of fiction and that it's bringing people into their churches.'^[36] Grazer deemed it odd that although The Da Vinci Code was a more controversial novel, they had more freedom shooting its film adaptation in London and France.^[10] Italian authorities hoped the filmmakers corrected the location errors in the novel, to limit the amount of explaining they will have to do for confused tourists.^[13]

William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League, did not call for a boycott, but requested that Catholics inform others about anti-Catholic sentiments in the story. 'My goal.. is to give the public a big FYI: Enjoy the movie, but know that it is a fable. It is based on malicious myths, intentionally advanced by Ron Howard.' A Sony executive responded that they were disappointed Donohue had not created attention for the film closer to its release date.^[37] Howard criticized Donohue for prejudging the film, responding that it could not be called anti-Catholic since Langdon protects the Church, and because of its depiction of priests who support science.^[38]

The official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano called the film 'harmless entertainment', giving it a positive review and acknowledging that 'the theme is always the same: a sect versus the Church, [but] this time, the Church is on the side of the good guys.'^[39][40] Beforehand, it had stated it would not approve the film, while La Stampa reported the Vatican would boycott it. However, it also quoted Archbishop Velasio De Paolis as saying a boycott would probably just have the 'boomerang effect' of drawing more attention to Angels & Demons and making it more popular.^[41]

In FAQ titled Angels & Demons: from the Book to the Movie,^[42]Massimo Introvigne, Director of CESNUR (Center for the Study of New Religions) points out crucial factual errors in Dan Brown's original novel and the film version. Introvigne also criticizes the Illuminati mythology that is treated as historical fact.

Banned in Samoa[edit]

In Samoa, the film was banned by film censor Lei'ataua Olo'apu. Olo'apu stated that he was banning the film because it was 'critical of the Catholic Church' and so as to 'avoid any religious discrimination by other denominations and faiths against the Church.' The Samoa Observer remarked that Olo'apu himself is Catholic.^[43] The Censorship Board had previously banned the film The Da Vinci Code,^[44] for being 'contradictory to Christian beliefs.'^[45]

CERN response[edit]

In response to the portrayal of CERN and the work performed by CERN, and antimatter; CERN set up a website to explain what it does and what antimatter is.^[46]

Accolades[edit]

Sequel[edit]

Sony Pictures produced a film adaptation of Inferno, the fourth book in the Robert Langdon series, which was released on October 14, 2016,^[48] with Ron Howard as director, David Koepp adapting the screenplay, Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon,^[49] and co-starring Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, Irrfan Khan and Sidse Babett Knudsen.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'ANGELS & DEMONS (12A)'. British Board of Film Classification. April 17, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
2. ^DiOrio, Carl (May 17, 2009). ''Angels & Demons' hauls $48 million'. The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on May 21, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
3. ^ ^ab'Angels & Demons (2009)'. Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 10, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
4. ^Michael Fleming (May 23, 2006). 'Brown's 'Angels' flies to bigscreen'. Variety. Retrieved December 20, 2006.
5. ^Michael Fleming (October 24, 2007). 'Howard moves fast with 'Code' sequel'. Variety. Retrieved October 31, 2007.
6. ^Tatiana Siegel (November 16, 2007). ''Da Vinci' prequel hit by strike'. Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
7. ^Tatiana Siegel (June 11, 2008). 'Koepp hopes to keep 'Town' rolling'. Variety. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
8. ^ ^abIan Freer (May 2009). 'Critical Mass'. Empire. pp. 69–73.
9. ^ ^abEdward Douglas (November 13, 2008). 'Ron Howard on Arrested Development and Angels & Demons'. ComingSoon.net. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
10. ^ ^abScott Bowles (October 17, 2008). 'First look: 'Angels & Demons' will fly faster than 'Da Vinci''. USA Today. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
11. ^Hanks, Tom; interviewed by Charlie Rose (May 13, 2009). 'A conversation about the film 'Angels and Demons''. PBS television (transcript). Archived from the original on May 17, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
12. ^'What's the Difference between Angels and Demons the Book and Angels and Demons the Movie'. thatwasnotinthebook.com. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
13. ^ ^abcdElisabetta Povoledo (June 24, 2008). 'Dan Brown Tourists: Next Stop, Rome?'. The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
14. ^Pamela McClintock, Michael Fleming (February 27, 2008). 'Film greenlights in limbo'. Variety. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
15. ^'ET on the top secret 'Angels & Demons' set!'. Entertainment Tonight. September 9, 2008. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
16. ^'ANGELS AND DEMONS was Filming Today at UCLA in Los Angeles'. Collider. July 10, 2008. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
17. ^'A Green Production'. Official site. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
18. ^Hanks saves Aussie bride, Nine News. Published May 19, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
19. ^ ^ab'On Location'. Official website. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
20. ^Perkins, Ceri. 'ATLAS gets the Hollywood treatment'. ATLAS e-News. CERN. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
21. ^Angels & Demons (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). iTunes. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
22. ^''Angels & Demons' flies high at box office (Reuters)'. Yahoo! Movies. May 17, 2009. Archived from the original on May 21, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
23. ^Frank Segers (June 21, 2009). 'New 'Transformers' bows No. 1 overseas'. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
24. ^'Angels & Demons (2009) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo'. www.boxofficemojo.com.
25. ^'2009 Worldwide Grosses'. IMDb. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
26. ^'Angels & Demons (2009)'. IGN Entertainment. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
27. ^'Angels & Demons (2009): Reviews'. CNET Networks. Metacritic. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
28. ^Kermode, Mark. 'Angels & Demons'. The Guardian. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
29. ^Corliss, Richard (May 13, 2009). 'Review: Holy Hanks! Fun and Games in Angels & Demons'. TIME Magazine. Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
30. ^'Angels and Demons :: rogerebert.com :: review'. Chicago Sun-Times. May 16, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
31. ^'Review: 'Angels and Demons' - the Christian Science Monitor'. Christian Science Monitor. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on May 17, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
32. ^'Angels & Demons : Review : Rolling Stone'. Rolling Stone. May 14, 2009. Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
33. ^Morgenstern, Joe. 'Plot's Knots Bedevil 'Angels''. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
34. ^'Review'. Total Film. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
35. ^'Review'. Empire. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
36. ^'Fans Line Up For 'Angels & Demons' Tours'. CBS News. June 19, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
37. ^Tatiana Siegel (March 6, 2009). 'Catholic controversy doesn't bug Sony'. Variety. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
38. ^Ron Howard (April 20, 2009). 'Angels & Demons: It's A Thriller, Not A Crusade'. The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
39. ^'Demons 'harmless', says Vatican'. BBC News Online. May 7, 2009. Archived from the original on May 10, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
40. ^Singh, Anita (May 7, 2009). 'Angels and Demons: Vatican breaks silence to review film'. The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
41. ^Eric J. Lyman (March 20, 2009). ''Angels & Demons' may face Vatican boycott'. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
42. ^MoreOrLess. 'Angels & Demons from the Book to the Movie FAQ – Do the Illuminati Really Exist?, by Massimo Introvigne'. www.cesnur.org.
43. ^'Chief censor bans movie Angels and Demons', Samoa Observer, May 21, 2009.
44. ^'Samoa's government censor bans Da Vinci Code film'. Radio New Zealand International. May 21, 2006. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
45. ^'Samoa bans 'Milk' film'Archived February 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, ABC Radio Australia, April 30, 2009.
46. ^'Angels & Demons - The Science Behind the Film'. CERN. 2011.
47. ^'8th Annual VES Awards'. visual effects society. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
48. ^Gregg Kilday. 'Tom Hanks' 'Inferno' Shifts Opening to 2016'. The Hollywood Reporter.
49. ^'Tom Hanks And Ron Howard To Return For Next Dan Brown Movie 'Inferno'; Sony Sets December 2015 Release Date'. Deadline Hollywood. July 16, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.

External links[edit]

• Angels & Demons on IMDb
• Angels & Demons at AllMovie
• Angels & Demons at Rotten Tomatoes
• Angels & Demons at Box Office Mojo
• Angels & Demons at Metacritic
• Angels & Demons at the TCM Movie Database
• Angels & Demons at the American Film Institute Catalog