July 27, 2011 16:27

Ron Howard won't direct Dan Brown's 'Da Vinci Code' trilogy closer

'The Lost Symbol' is looking for a new helmer

Ron Howard has passed on the chance to direct the final part in the Robert Langdon trilogy, The Lost Symbol. According to Deadline.com, Howard won't stay on to finish the trilogy, after putting together The Da Vinci Code and Angels And Demons, but may still act as producer.

Despite Howard not calling the shots, it is believed that long-time collaborator Tom Hanks will still return as Robert Langdon.

It is the third project in as many months that the former Happy Days star was set to direct, before minds were changed.

Howard had been attached to direct Stephen King's The Dark Tower series before Universal pulled the plug. He was also rumoured to tell the tale of Captain Richard Philips and his imprisonment at the hands of Somali Pirates before Paul Greengrass took over.

Howard's last film The Dilemma, starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, made less than $17 million (£10.3 million) in its opening weekend, from a budget of $70 million (£43 million).

The Lost Symbol does not yet have a scheduled release date.

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