The Lost Symbol
Also known asDan Brown's The Lost Symbol
Genre
Based onThe Lost Symbol
by Dan Brown
Developed byDan Dworkin & Jay Beattie
Starring
Music byWill Bates
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Norman Denver
  • O'Shea Read
  • Todd Aronauer
Production locationsToronto, Ontario
Cinematography
Editors
  • David Trachtenberg
  • Greg Sirota
  • Mark J. Goldman
  • Alexander Aquino-Kaljakin
  • Juan Carlos Garza
Running time40–51 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkPeacock
ReleaseSeptember 16 (2021-09-16) –
November 18, 2021 (2021-11-18)

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, or simply The Lost Symbol, is an American action-adventure mystery-thriller television series based on Dan Brown's 2009 novel The Lost Symbol. The series is a prequel to the Robert Langdon film series and features Ashley Zukerman as fictional Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. It also stars Eddie Izzard, Beau Knapp, Rick Gonzalez, Valorie Curry and Sumalee Montano in main roles. Dan Trachtenberg directed the series pilot and serves as executive producer on the series alongside Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Brown himself.[1] The series consists of ten episodes, premiered on September 16, 2021, on Peacock.[2] In January 2022, the series was cancelled after one season.[3]

Plot

Years before the events of The Da Vinci Code, a young Robert Langdon is hired by the CIA to solve a number of deadly puzzles when his mentor goes missing.[4]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byTeleplay byOriginal release date
1"As Above, So Below"Dan TrachtenbergDan Dworkin & Jay BeattieSeptember 16, 2021 (2021-09-16)
A young Harvard professor specializing in symbology named Robert Langdon finds himself pulled into a complex mystery when his former mentor, Peter Solomon, is kidnapped by a mysterious man named Mal'akh, who hints at a wider conspiracy involving Freemasonry. Armed with knowledge of history, symbols, and dead languages, Langdon must work together with Peter's daughter, Katherine and other allies to decipher a trail of hidden codes with the hope of locating Peter and ensuring his safety.
2"The Araf"Mathias HerndlDan Dworkin & Jay BeattieSeptember 23, 2021 (2021-09-23)
As Langdon and Katherine are pursued by the CIA, they are rescued by Warren Bellamy, the Architect of the Capitol, who is also a Freemason and a member of Leviathan. Together, they recruit police officer Alfonso Nuñez and recover Peter Solomon's ring to decode a passage that Solomon left in hopes of finding answers. The CIA locate the group and find Bellamy, who has allowed Langdon and Katherine to escape. Mal'akh contacts Langdon and informs him that he can no longer work with Katherine.
3"Murmuration"Mathias HerndlDavid H. GoodmanSeptember 30, 2021 (2021-09-30)
4"L'Enfant Orientation"Felix AlcalaSallie PatrickOctober 7, 2021 (2021-10-07)
5"Melencolia I"Felix AlcalaBrusta Brown & John Mitchell ToddOctober 14, 2021 (2021-10-14)
6"Diophantine Pseudonym"Kate WoodsCarlos FogliaOctober 21, 2021 (2021-10-21)
7"Noögenesis"Boris MojsovskiLauren ConnOctober 28, 2021 (2021-10-28)
8"Cascade"Kate WoodsAndrew SaitoNovember 4, 2021 (2021-11-04)
9"Order Eight"Norma BaileyGlen WhitmanNovember 11, 2021 (2021-11-11)
10"Resonance"Mathias HerndlDan Dworkin & Jay BeattieNovember 18, 2021 (2021-11-18)

Production

Development

Originally developed as a film to have starred Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon and to be produced and directed by Ron Howard for Columbia Pictures[5][6] along with the franchise's producers Brian Grazer and John Calley. Between 2010 and 2013 Sony Pictures eventually hired three screenwriters for the project, Steven Knight,[7] Dan Brown himself,[8] and Danny Strong. In July 2013, Sony Pictures announced they would instead adapt Inferno for an October 14, 2016, release.[9][10]

In June 2019, the project was announced to be re-conceived as a television series tentatively titled Langdon. The series serves as a prequel to the film series, with Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie serving as co-creators, showrunners and executive producers. Brown, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Samie Kim Falvey and Anna Culp will act as additional executive producers. The show will be a co-production between Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios, and Universal Television Studios and was ordered to series on NBC. In March 2021, it was announced the series was picked up to series by Peacock.[1] The new title of the series, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, was revealed on May 17, 2021, with a trailer for the series. The first episode was directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who also is an executive producer on the series.[11]

On January 24, 2022, Peacock canceled the series after one season.[3]

Casting

In March 2020 it was announced that Ashley Zukerman had been cast to portray Robert Langdon.[12] In June 2020 it was announced that Valorie Curry and Eddie Izzard had been cast as Katherine and Peter Solomon.[13] A few days later additional cast members were announced, Sumalee Montano as Sato, Rick Gonzalez as Nunez and Beau Knapp as Mal'akh.[14] In June 2021, Raoul Bhaneja, Sammi Rotibi, and Keenan Jolliff were cast in recurring roles.[15]

Filming

Principal photography for the first season of the series began on June 14, 2021, in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on October 20, 2021.[16]

Release

The series premiered on September 16, 2021, on Peacock.[2] A collection of six posters, each featuring one of the main cast of the show, was released the day before the premiere.[17] In India, the series was picked by Voot for streaming.[18] In Hong Kong, TVB has carried the series for myTV Super, premiered simultaneously within the US broadcast.[19]

NBC also scheduled to broadcast the pilot episode on its network on November 8, making it the first Peacock original to get aired network release as well.[20]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 50% approval rating with an average rating of 6.5/10, based on 12 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "With a promising premise, handsome locations, and a well-known character, The Lost Symbol has all the pieces necessary to be an addictive addition to Robert Langdon's story—if only the show's flat writing and strange pace didn't undermine all that potential."[21] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 53 out of 100 based on 5 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[22]

References

  1. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (March 9, 2021). "'Dan Brown's Langdon' NBC Pilot Picked Up To Series By Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Ray, Alyssa (August 2, 2021). "Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol Teases Premiere Date in Epic Puzzle". E! Online. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (January 24, 2022). "'Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol' Canceled By Peacock After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 5, 2019). "NBC Nabs Robert Langdon Drama Based On Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' From Imagine With Big Commitment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  5. ^ Fleming, Michael (April 20, 2009). "Columbia moves on 'Symbol'". Variety.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
  6. ^ "The Mystery of Dan Brown". The Guardian. London. September 2009. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  7. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (February 3, 2010). "Columbia finds 'Symbol'; Knight to adapt third book in 'Da Vinci Code' series". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  8. ^ Fernandez, Jay A.; Kit, Borys (December 20, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: Dan Brown Taking Over 'Lost Symbol' Screenplay". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  9. ^ Kilday, Gregg (October 9, 2014). "Tom Hanks' 'Inferno' Shifts Opening to 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  10. ^ The Deadline Team (July 16, 2013). "Tom Hanks And Ron Howard To Return For Next Dan Brown Movie 'Inferno'; Sony Sets December 2015 Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  11. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (May 17, 2021). "'Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol' Trailer: Ashley Zukerman Embarks On Trail Of Mysteries, Riddles In Peacock Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 2, 2020). "'Langdon': Ashley Zukerman To Play Famed Symbologist In NBC Pilot Based On Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 23, 2020). "'Langdon': Valorie Curry & Eddie Izzard Cast In NBC Pilot Based On Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (June 26, 2020). "'Langdon': Sumalee Montano, Rick Gonzalez & Beau Knapp Cast In NBC Pilot Based On Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  15. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (June 24, 2021). "'Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol': Raoul Bhaneja, Sammi Rotibi & Keenan Jolliff Join Peacock Drama Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  16. ^ "Current Productions | IATSE 873". IATSE 873. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  17. ^ Lane, Carly (September 15, 2021). "Exclusive: 'The Lost Symbol' Posters Unmask Character Motivations in Peacock's Upcoming Dan Brown Series". Collider. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  18. ^ FP Staff (September 15, 2021). "The Lost Symbol to premiere in India on Voot Select from 16 September". Firstpost. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  19. ^ "懸疑劇《失落的符號》登陸myTV SUPER Ashley陷入致命謎團". Sing Tao Daily (in Cantonese). September 13, 2021. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  20. ^ White, Peter (November 1, 2021). "'Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol': NBC Hands Peacock Original Pilot Linear Slot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  21. ^ "Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  22. ^ "Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 20, 2021.

External links

Dan Brown
Peacock original programming
Categories