The Catholic hierarchy does not really stand Dan Brown’s work and is quite pissed off by Director Ron Howard’s movie adaptation. Ron Howard can but be glad: that’s free promotion for his new movie Angels and Demons starring Tom Hanks. But he tries to play down the controversy, fearing that rank-and-file Catholic believers would start to listen to their narrow-minded priest:
“I believe Angels & Demons treats the Church with respect — even a degree of reverence — for its traditions and beliefs.”
Director Ron Howard
Not sure he’s sincere but I don’t give a dam (my grandmother do though, and will boycott Angels and Demons…): I just know that Angels and Demons looks like an entertaining movie!
Here below some new preview clips of Angels and Demons:
Santa Maria Della Inspector Olivetti (Pierfrancesco Favino) arrive to find a fire inside the church.
We must defend ourselves. Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) pleads with the Cardinals to go public.
One Way Portal Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) rush to deliver a warning.
Breaking Out Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Chartrand (Thure Lindhardt) are locked in an air-tight vault.
Regular movie audiences will probably enjoy the movie Angels and Demons, but I can understand that over-sensitive believers may frown upon Ron Howard’s movie. ;-P
Comments Off on Angels and Demons A Controversial Movie
The DaVinci Code was controversial, so much that it drove crowds to theaters. Angels and Demons, the sequel to the DaVinci Codel, does not generate as much buzz though. Well, a few well-designed poster could stir things up. And it looks like that’s the strategy in France, where new posters of Angels and Demons is insunating that the Holy See is hiding strange secrets…
The two posters above were to be displayed on buses in Paris but it seems that the bus company is refusing those fearing a backlash from Catholic groups. Bad buzz good buzz!
Two more international posters of Angels and Demons, they’re quite bland so eyebrows are unlikely to raise here:
Angels and Demons will be released on May 15, 2009. :)
Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) works to convince Richter (Stellan Skarsgard) that he needs access to the Vatican archives.
Antimatter : God Particle Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) explains to Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Richter (Stellan Skarsgard) the danger of the threat against the Vatican.
First marker. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) find a clue in a room of statues.
Do you think that this movie sequel will perform as well as the first Da Vinci Code movie? :)
Comments Off on Angels and Demons from the author of the DaVinci Code
Angels and demons is the movie sequel to the DaVinci Code (yep, they transformed the book prequel into a movie sequel…). Below two new international posters of Angels and Demons:
Plot: “Robert Langdon is summoned by CERN (a European science Institute based in Geneva, Swiss) to investigate a murder victim, branded with the Illuminati ambigram, leading him to discover the cult’s scheme to murder four cardinals and destroy St. Peter’s Basilica during a papal conclave using antimatter.”
Those two posters of Angels and Demons are full of mystery: they look damn great!
Angels and Demons will hit theaters on May 15, 2009. ;-p
In the movie Angels and Demons Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is back for an investigation that will bring him to the Holy See in Rome, Italy. Here below a nice international poster of Angels and Demons:
(Click on the poster to enlarge it.)
Too bad I can’t read Chinese! Could someone help to translate what’s written on this Angels and Demons movie poster? :)
I don’t give a dam about the Oscars. But I found a compelling reason for talking about it: at the end of the show a montage of footage from various upcoming movies was aired! Thanks to Firstshowing we may enjoy below the end credits of the Oscars:
OSCAR END CREDITS
More details about the movies seen in the video:
SHERLOCK HOLMES
Directed by: Guy Ritchie Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams Release date: December 25, 2009 Plot: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England. More –> Sherlock Holmes Movie
FUNNY PEOPLE Directed by: Judd Apatow Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow Release date: July 31, 2009 Plot: “When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship cause him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.”
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 Directed by: Tony Scott Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, James Gandolfini Release date: June 12, 2009 Plot: “In The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there’s one riddle Garber can’t solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?”
PUBLIC ENEMIES Directed by: Michael Mann Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Giovanni Ribisi, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Rory Cochrane, Stephen Lang, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, Channing Tatum, Jason Clarke Release date: July 1, 2009 Plot: “The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.”
JULIE AND JULIA Directed by: Nora Ephron Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond Release date: August 7, 2009 Plot: “Julie Powell recounts how she conquered every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and saved her soul. Julie Powell is 30-years-old, living in a rundown apartment in Queens and working at a soul-sucking secretarial job that’s going nowhere. She needs something to break the monotony of her life, and she invents a deranged assignment. She will take her mother’s dog-eared copy of Julia Child’s 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she will cook all 524 recipes. In the span of one year.”
PIXAR’s UP Directed by: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson Starring: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Jordan Nagai Release date: May 29, 2009 Plot: “The story of Up follows Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) who spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But one day, Carl finds himself to be 78-years old and his life has seemingly passed him by, until he befriends a chubby 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. The two opposites match up for thrilling adventures as they encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains, and all the terrifying creatures that wait in the jungle.”
THE SOLOIST Directed by: Joe Wright Starring: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Lisa Gay Hamilton Release date: April 24, 2009 Plot: “A Los Angeles Journalist, befriends a homeless Julliard trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.”
FAME Directed by: Kevin Tancharoen Starring: Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth, Thomas Dekker, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Asher Book Release date: September 25, 2009 Plot: “An updated version of the 1980 musical, which centered on the students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts.”
TERMINATOR SALVATION Directed by: McG Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Jadagrace, Helena Bonham Carter Release date: May 21, 2009 Plot: “After Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, a group of survivors led by John Connor (Bale) struggles to keep the machines from finishing the job.”
500 DAYS OF SUMMER Directed by: Marc Webb Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly, Rachel Boston, Matthew Gray Gubler, Chloe Moretz Release date: July 17, 2009 Plot: “Romantic comedy which centers on a man (Gordon-Levitt) who falls hopelessly in love with a woman (Deschanel) who doesn’t believe in love.”
AMELIA Directed by: Mira Nair Starring: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Virginia Madsen, Christopher Eccleston, Mia Wasikowska Release date: October 23, 2009 Plot: “A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.”
WHATEVER WORKS Directed by: Woody Allen Starring: Larry David, Patricia Clarkson, Evan Rachel Wood Release date: TBA 2009 Plot: “Whatever Works revolves around an eccentric man (Larry David) taken into a series of adventures and encounters with his friends from Greenwich, a young woman from the South (Evan Rachel Wood), and her parents.”
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Directed by: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Bruhl, Eli Roth, Samm Levine, B. J. Novak, Til Schweiger, Samuel L. Jackson, Mike Myers Release date: August 21, 2009 Plot: “Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich.”
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN Directed by: Shawn Levy Starring: Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Ricky Gervais Release date: May 22, 2009 Plot: “Security guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) infiltrates the Smithsonian Institute in order to rescue Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Octavius (Steve Coogan), who have been shipped to the museum by mistake.”
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS Directed by: Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Rainn Wilson, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Colbert Release date: March 27, 2009 Plot: “When a meteorite from outer space hits a young girl and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years.”
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE Directed by: David Yates Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon Release date: July 17, 2009 Plot: “Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching”
ANGELS AND DEMONS Directed by: Ron Howard Starring: Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer and Ewan McGregor Release date: May 15, 2009 Plot: “Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.”
OLD DOGS Directed by: Walt Becker Starring: John Travolta, Robin Williams, Kelly Preston, Seth Green, Ella Bleu Travolta, Lori Loughlin, Matt Dillon Release date: November 25, 2009 Plot: “Two best friends—one unlucky-in-love divorcee (Robin Williams) and the other a fun-loving bachelor (John Travolta)—have their lives turned upside down when they’re unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so kidsavvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins (newcomers Ella Blue Travolta and Conner Rayburn), leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what’s really important in life.”
ICE AGE DAWN OF TEH DINOSAURS Directed by: Carlos Saldanha Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah Release date: July 1, 2009 Plot: “Our friends are trapped in a strange underground world! Guess what Scrat the squirrel is gonna have a girlfriend! But there could be an issue between the two lovers: Scrat’s precious acorn.”
THE BOAT THAT ROCKED Directed by: Richard Curtis Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Jack Davenport, Ralph Brown, Chris O’Dowd, January Jones Release date: April 3, 2009 Plot: “A period comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960’s.”
AN EDUCATION Directed by: Lone Scherfig Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson, Cara Seymour, Matthew Beard, Sally Hawkins Release date: TBA 2009 Plot: “A coming-of-age story about a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London, and how her life changes with the arrival of a playboy nearly twice her age.”
STATE OF PLAY Directed by: Kevin Macdonald Starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Helen Mirren Release date: April 17, 2009 Plot: “Based on the BBC mini-series of the same title, a team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman’s mistress.”
IMAGINE THAT Directed by: Karey Kirkpatrick Starring: Eddie Murphy Release date: June 12, 2009 Plot: “A financial executive (Murphy) who can’t stop his career downspiral is invited into his daughter’s imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.”
G-FORCE Directed by: Hoyt Yeatman Starring: Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan Release date: July, 24, 2009 Plot: “A specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world.”
Director Ron Howard has been working on Angels and Demons the movie adaptation of the book of the same name written by Dan Brown. The book was actually a prequel to the Da Vinci Code, but it looks like they modified the time line according to this full length movie trailer of Angel and Demons:
This Angels and Demons trailer is indeed stating that Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) already exposed the Da Vinci cover up. So this Angels and Demons movie is in fact the sequel of the Da Vinci Code. This timeline tweak does not bother me that much, but I think dubious that the Vatican authorities would call Robert Langdon for help if he had broken his revelations about Christ already…
Anyway, Angels and Demons still looks appealing but must say that Tom Hanks’ performance accounts for a lot for this! :)
In Angels and Demons Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon tries to stop what seems to be the Illuminati, a legendary secret society, from destroying the Vatican City with the newly-discovered power of antimatter. :)
In the movie Angels and Demons, upcoming prequel to the Da Vinci Code, Professor Langdon (Tom Hanks) has to face a mysterious order called the Illuminati who is threathening to destroy the Vatican. Take a look to those preview clips of Angels and Demons:
In this prequel to the Da Vinci Code Robert Langdon travels to Rome and the Holy See to investigate a murder linked to the Illuminati, a mysterious religious order that was thought disbanded centuries ago. Don’t miss the Superbowl trailer of Angels and Demons! :)
Will RobertLangdon find who is behind the mysterious Illuminati? Will he save the Vatican? Shall see in ay 2009. Or if you can’t wait, read the book (which is a prequel to the Da Vinci Code). :)
If you get bored of the slow pace of the Da Vinci Code movie then maybe Angels and Demons be a better match. Indeed according to producer Brian Grazer:
“Langdon doesn’t stop and give a speech. When he speaks, he’s in motion.”
Well i enjoyed the Da Vinci Code. And I’m quite impatient to see Angels and Demons because it also combines sci-fi (with anti-matter!) and religion! :)
Comments Off on Angels and Demons Tom Hanks in 2009
An other book written by Dan Brown is being adapted to the cinema: Angel & Demons, the prequel to the Da Vinci Code is indeed under production. And Tom Hanks is back as Robert Langdon.