Angels & Demons

A 2009 American mystery thriller directed by Ron Howard, based on Dan Brown's novel of the same name, serves as a sequel to "The Da Vinci Code." The story follows Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who is summoned by the Vatican to investigate the murder of a CERN scientist and prevent the detonation of stolen antimatter. Accompanied by scientist Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), Langdon travels to Rome, where they confront the secret society of the Illuminati, intent on destroying the Catholic Church. As the plot unfolds, the protagonists decipher clues hidden in art and architecture to thwart the assassination of cardinals and avert disaster. The film also stars Ewan McGregor as Camerlengo Patrick McKenna, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. The score was composed by Hans Zimmer. Despite mixed critical reviews, the film was considered an improvement over its predecessor and grossed over $485 million worldwide, ranking as the ninth highest-grossing film of 2009.