Summary

• The Da Vinci Code series, based on Dan Brown's bestselling novels, received mixed reviews but became a huge commercial success, grossing over $750 million worldwide.
• Angels & Demons, the first novel in the series, was reworked as a sequel to The Da Vinci Code due to its success. It received better reviews compared to the third movie, Inferno.
• The future of The Da Vinci Code series is uncertain after the TV adaptation of The Lost Symbol was canceled after one season due to declining ratings and negative reviews.

The Da Vinci Code series of movies brings Dan Brown's bestselling novels to life on the big screen with Tom Hanks in the starring role. The Da Vinci Code is the second novel by author Dan Brown to feature his recurring protagonist, the renowned "symbologist" Robert Langdon. As the first movie of the series adapted, 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. The same criticisms that dogged his books have also followed The Da Vinci Code series of movies, which received lukewarm to poor critical reviews, but big box office takes. The first movie grossed over $750 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) and paved the way for the 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 TV Show Is A Prequel To The Movies

Angels & Demons is 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 moves at a quicker pace and doesn't get overly bogged down in exposition. This might be why the controversial Angels & Demons received some of the best reviews of the Robert Langdon movie trilogy.

Critics loved it much more than 2016's Inferno, which sees Langdon racing against time to stop a plot that will wipe out half the planet's population. Inferno's story barely holds together, but is helped by performances from Felicity Jones and the late Irrfan Khan. However, it was considered the weakest of the franchise and Inferno has the lowest box office to match.

It appears Tom Hanks' reign as Robert Langdon is over, with Ashley Zukerman taking over the character on the prequel TV The Lost Symbol.

After that movie seemingly marked the end of the franchise on the big screen, it pivoted to the small screen. It appears Tom Hanks' reign as Robert Langdon is over, with Ashley Zukerman taking over the character on the prequel TV The Lost Symbol. Unfortunately, the show, like the planned movie adaptation of it, was canceled after just one season, meaning Zukerman may never get the chance to portray Langdon again.

Was The Da Vinci Code Franchise Successful?

The Series Was A Commercial Hit But Didn't Land With Critics

None of The Da Vinci Code series of Robert Langdon-centered films have received spectacular reviews from 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 appear not to be in 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 plans weren't scrapped entirely, and The Lost Symbol eventually made 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.

This includes recasting Robert Langdon with the younger Zukerman. The show sees Langdon investigating the actions of the Freemasons and searching for his abducted friend and mentor (Eddie Izzard) and received middling to positive reviews. That aspect of mixed reviews lines up well with the rest of the franchise as the movies and books received similar responses. It's the kind of series that people seem to either love or hate with little in between but those who like it have helped it become largely successful.

The Da Vinci Code Series' Future Is Uncertain

The Cancelation Of The Show Doesn't Bode Well

The future of The Da Vinci Code series hangs in the balance after The Lost Symbol ended 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 for why the show was canceled. First, reviews were less-than-positive and while the show started relatively strong, the season began to wane and suffer for the same reasons that The Da Vinci Code series often did, something critics were quick to point out.

The disappointingly low ratings brought The Lost Symbol TV show to a close, and the rest is ancient history.

Therefore, as the show progressed, it received more negative reviews and audience interest dissipated. The disappointingly low ratings brought The Lost Symbol to a close, and the rest is ancient history. Peacock also said that in one season, the show did what it set out to do. However, making The Lost Symbol into a miniseries probably isn't what showrunners had in mind, as the narrative feels like it's building to something grander. Nonetheless, this is the reasoning that Peacock gave in a statement for ending The Lost Symbol after one season (via THR).

“We were so proud to bring this action-packed mystery thriller to our members and enjoyed watching this compelling series unfold with a satisfying, complete story.”

The Da Vinci Code Books In Order

The Books Were Released In A Different Order From The Adaptations

While there were four adaptations, there were five total books in Dan Brown's novel series. The first four books changed somewhat on screen. Unlike the movies, Angels & Demons started Robert Langdon's story in the books and took place first in chronological order. After this, Robert moved on to the mystery of The Da Vinci Code. That is where things also switched up in the movies, as Ron Howard chose to skip over The Lost Symbol and move on to Inferno.

The Lost Symbol was never a prequel in the Da Vinci Code series.

After Inferno, the movies stopped. Changes were made for TV as The Lost Symbol was never a prequel in the Da Vinci Code series. For Dan Brown, he had one more book that arrived in 2017 called Origin. As with the other books and movies, Origin and its storyline remain a polarizing and controversial read. Despite that, it received mostly positive reviews and hit the bestseller lists but since then, the franchise hasn't seen another entry.

What An Origin Adaptation Would Look Like

There's One More Book That Could Be Adapted

Origin is, to date, the final tale in the overarching story of Robert Langdon. In this entry, the protagonist heads to Spain and the Guggenheim Museum for an event hosted by a billionaire philanthropist. While there, Langdon listens to a man who claims he can change how religion is viewed forever, but when the man is murdered, Langdon tries to find out his secrets before they are lost forever.

However, some of the criticisms against the book surrounded a lack of action which might not translate well to the big screen.

Considering Dan Brown visited many of the locations in the book while writing it, a film adaptation would likely involve actually filming on location in Spain. The book was praised for the themes and raising questions about whether science and religion can co-exist. However, some of the criticisms against the book surrounded a lack of action which might not translate well to the big screen. It's likely that an adaptation of Origin would receive a similar response to the other entries in the Da Vinci Code series.

• 

  The Da Vinci Code

  Director:

  Ron Howard

  Release Date:

  2006-05-19

  Cast:

  Tom Hanks, Paul Bettany, Jean Reno

  Writers:

  Ron Howard

  Rating:

  pg-13

  Runtime:

  150minutes

  Genres:

  Thriller, Mystery

  Budget:

  $125 million

  Studio(s):

  Sony

  Distributor(s):

  Sony, Columbia Pictures

  Sequel(s):

  Angels & Demons, Inferno

  Franchise(s):

  The Da Vinci Code