By Cesar Arredondo
After playing a vigilante for several seasons in a superhero series, actor Rick Gonzalez will don a police uniform in the upcoming Peacock drama series Dan Brown’s Langdon, based on a novel by the author of the bestselling book The Da Vinci Code.
Gonzalez (Arrow) is among the first-billed cast members of the series that follows the early adventures of famed Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who must solve a series of deadly puzzles to save a kidnapped mentor and thwart a chilling global conspiracy. The cast includes Ashley Zukerman (Succession) in the lead role, Valorie Curry (Blair Witch), Sumalee Montano (10 Cloverfield Lane), Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen) and Beau Knapp (Seven Seconds).
Dan Brown’s Langdon is based on Dan Brown’s third novel The Lost Symbol, also a bestseller and which came after the author’s two popular books Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code. These two books were adapted to films starring Tom Hanks.
Gonzalez will play the recurring role of Capitol policeman Nunez. “About to go on an adventure. Wanna join?” posted the actor on Instagram, adding he was excited to be part of the team bringing Brown’s book to life.
The New York-born-and-raised actor of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent landed the new role after appearing in the CW’s Arrow series for five years ending in 2020. In the superhero series, he portrayed the superhero vigilante character Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog, which he also played briefly last year in the limited series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow on the same network. His film credits include the sports drama Coach Carter, where he plays a rebellious high school basketball player, and the crime thriller Illegal Terder that won him an Imagen Foundation Award nomination for best actor.
Dan Brown’s Langdon will be produced by CBS Studios and executive directed by Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie, who will also serve as writers. The two collaborated in previous projects like the series The Outer Banks and Matador. Joining the pair in executive directing will be the novel’s author himself, Brown, as well as Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, who together produced the multiple-Oscar-winning film A Beautiful Mind.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with Ron and Brian again on another Langdon project,” said Brown. “We’ve all wanted to make The Lost Symbol for some time now, and I’m grateful to CBS Studios, Imagine Television Studios, Universal Television and Peacock for joining forces to make this project a reality.”
Originally, the series was developed by NBC, which ordered a pilot last year but turned over to Peacock, the NBCUniversal streaming service. “The team was blown away by this pilot and its enormous potential to become a big, binge-worthy hit, and our new structure enables us to move it to Peacock and give it every opportunity to make that happen,” said Susan Rovner, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Our ability to pick up a great show is no longer limited by the confines of a network schedule, giving us the freedom to say ‘yes’ to shows we love and then find them the perfect home across our portfolio.”
Featured Top Photo: Sumalee Montano, Ashley Zukerman and Rick Gonzalez in Dan Brown’s Langdon. (Photo: Peacock)