Rebecca Hall joins the hunt in Netflix’s Dan Brown series The Secret of Secrets
Netflix has found its Katherine Solomon for Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets, unveiling the pick with hints at how the series expands the Langdon-verse.
There’s yet another adaptation of Dan Brown’s feverishly twisty books on the way – and this time, Netflix are the ones trying to crack the code. If you’ve followed the Robert Langdon saga (the one that turned Tom Hanks into an eternal museum escapee), you’ll know they’re no strangers to bonkers plots and relentless globe-trotting. But here’s the latest: the streaming giant is putting together a brand new show called The Secret of Secrets, and the casting news is already rather interesting.
Spector & Hall: A Real Duo
Netflix have already tapped Morgan Spector to play infamous symbologist and all-around clue-magnet Robert Langdon for the series. If his name rings a bell, it might be because he’s cropped up in everything from The Gilded Age to Homeland – but what makes this casting fun is who’ll be starring opposite him. They’ve just announced that Rebecca Hall, Spector’s actual wife, will take on the role of Katherine Solomon. In the Brown universe, Katherine’s not just Langdon’s girlfriend – she’s a scientist who’s suddenly gone missing, conveniently providing a fresh conspiracy for our favourite tweedy academic to unravel.
Production on 'The Secret of Secrets' is scheduled to kick off this autumn in Prague.
Hall’s not new to Netflix, by the way: she’s also involved in the next outing of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology, as well as upcoming titles The Beauty and The Listeners. Seems the streaming wars haven’t slowed her down.
The Adaptation Angle
So, what’s The Secret of Secrets actually about, beyond the latest game of international scavenger hunt? This adaptation draws from one of Brown’s typically high-wire thrillers: Langdon racing against shadowy enemies and ominous countdowns to rescue an abducted scientist and her mysterious manuscript – which could, naturally, upend everything we supposedly know about the human mind. Presumably, there’ll be cryptic symbols, people sporting dramatic cloaks, and at least one ancient society keeping the secret hidden for centuries.
Putting it together are none other than Carlton Cuse (yes, that one from Lost) and Brown himself; both are credited as co-creators, writers, and executive producers. Cuse is on showrunner duties as well, if you’re keeping tabs. Also in the producer mix: Emma Forman (for Genre Arts) and Zoe Robyn. Apparently Prague gets to double for globe-trotting settings, which isn’t a bad shout for an espionage series on a streamer budget.
Robert Langdon: Past & Present
A quick refresher: when The Da Vinci Code landed on shelves in 2003, it basically became the book your nan and your housemate were both reading simultaneously. It’s actually the second in Brown’s novels (following Angels & Demons), but it’s the one that properly exploded into pop culture. Naturally, Hollywood leapt at the chance to get Tom Hanks running round churches and basilicas, and not just once: he returned for Angels & Demons and Inferno too.
The jury’s always been out on those films (critics loved to have a bit of a moan, but honestly, they’re a decent guilty pleasure if you like a cryptic chase). Hanks’ slightly flustered, slightly bemused Langdon is arguably what makes them so breezily watchable.
This isn’t television’s first go at Langdon either. Peacock attempted an adaptation of The Lost Symbol back in 2021, but it quietly folded after one season. You’d imagine Netflix are hoping The Secret of Secrets will finally give the franchise a proper second wind.