Tom Hanks reprises Prof. Langdon in 'Angels & Demons'

Tom Hanks reprises his role as brilliant Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon -- sans the long, unruly hair -- in "Angels & Demons," the prequel to the 2006 blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code," both based on Dan Brown novels.

The same creative team -- including director Ron Howard, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman and producer Brian Grazer -- are also on board for this story in which Langdon is asked by CERN -- the European Organization for Nuclear Research -- to investigate a murder in which the victim was branded with an ambrigram from the secret brotherhood of the Illuminati. Langdon soon discovers that the secret society is plotting to murder four cardinals.

Ayelet Zurer plays a CERN scientist whose anti-matter experiment has been stolen by the Illuminati.

"This continues the Langdon character in a much more modern form in a , high-velocity situation," Grazer says. "The stakes are higher; the stakes are related to the main character. The 'Da Vinci Code' was much more of a puzzle movie, and this is much more of an action movie." "Angels & Demons" is set to open May 15.

The Catholic Church and other Christian religions were none too happy with "The Da Vinci Code," with its secret religious societies and their carryings-on. Though boycotts were called in several countries including the U.S, the mixed-reviewed film still earned nearly $800 million worldwide.

But the Catholic Church didn't forget "Da Vinci" when it came time to shoot "Angels & Demons" in and around Rome.

Grazer says unexpected interference arose during shoots near the perimeter of the Vatican.

"We would have them locked and then maybe on the day [of the shoot], we couldn't have the location any longer. We would have to move, so a lot of our locations changed on the day."

susan.king@latimes.com