

This month, the streaming service Peacock releases the latest Langdon thriller, a prequel TV series based on his book The Lost Symbol (out Sept. While they may not have captivated critics, the films have nonetheless grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. The books have also spawned a cinematic trilogy, starring Tom Hanks (65) and directed by Ron Howard (67).


His Robert Langdon series features a juicy page-turning combination of religion, art, cryptography and conspiracy theories that has continually propelled him to the top of the best-seller list since the release of his 2000 hit Angels & Demons. With more than 200 million copies of his books in print worldwide, The Da Vinci Code novelist Dan Brown, 57, is an undisputed pop-literature powerhouse. Tom Hanks (left) in "Angels & Demons" and Ashley Zukerman in "The Lost Symbol." Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection David Lee/Peacock
