Morgan Spector in talks to crack the code as Robert Langdon in Netflix's The Secret of Secrets

If you thought we were done with Robert Langdon solving ancient puzzles and chasing shadowy cults around Europe, think again. Netflix is dusting off Dan Brown's reliably pulpy universe, and this time, they're giving the symbologist's loafers to someone new: Morgan Spector, best known these days for striding around Gilded Age New York looking stern on HBO.

And here's a twist you'd expect in one of Brown's own plots: Spector's actual wife, Rebecca Hall, is reportedly circling a starring role opposite him in the show. The project in question is a series adaptation of Brown's most recent page-turner, The Secret of Secrets. Netflix quietly gave this one the go-ahead last year, so if you missed the announcement, don't worry—apparently everyone else did as well.

The Secret of Secrets: What to Expect

So, what's the setup this time? Spector's Langdon gets swept up in yet another high-stakes historical scavenger hunt, trying to save his girlfriend, Katherine Solomon (Hall), who's gone missing—along with a manuscript that could, allegedly, alter humanity's entire understanding of the mind (as if our notion of the mind wasn't muddled enough already).

The show is being co-created, written, and exec produced by Carlton Cuse (you might know him from Lost) and Dan Brown himself, with Cuse leading the charge as showrunner. Production is set to roll out this autumn, mainly on location in Prague—so expect lots of moody cobbled streets for Langdon to rush through whilst puzzling out ancient riddles.

Cast, Scheduling, and Franchise Backstory

• Morgan Spector: Currently starring in The Gilded Age. Some fans started wringing their hands about him possibly leaving that series, but apparently, if HBO greenlights a fifth series (as the Americans say, 'season'), his schedule lets him do both jobs. Credit to his agent, honestly.
• Rebecca Hall: In active talks to play Katherine Solomon, the scientist-in-distress. Handy that she and Spector already know how to convincingly play a couple.
• Carlton Cuse & Dan Brown: Both writing and executive producing, with Cuse as showrunner.

A Quick Refresher: Why Does Langdon Matter?

For anyone who somehow dodged the mass Dan Brown hysteria of the 2000s, The Da Vinci Code was everywhere from airports to your nan's coffee table after it came out in 2003, despite being a sequel to Angels & Demons (which always confused me, but there you go). Hollywood snapped it up sharpish, and Tom Hanks donned his finest perplexed expression to play Langdon in three ludicrously successful films. Yes, the critics mocked the scripts, haircuts and history lessons, but let's be honest—there's a certain charm to Hanks looking hopelessly lost in front of yet another medieval mural.

To be fair, this is not the first crack at a TV take on Brown's sleuth. Remember The Lost Symbol on Peacock? No? That's fine; it came and went after one series in 2021, barely making a ripple. Netflix will be hoping this new direction lands better with viewers—and with Spector and Hall attached, maybe they've actually got the right mix this time.