Lost Symbol Director Found?

Mark Romanek ("Never Let Me Go," "One Hour Photo") is at the front of the line to direct the film adaptation of author Dan Brown's latest Robert Langdon novel The Lost Symbol reports Deadline.

Ron Howard, who directed both the 2003 movie adaptation of The Da Vinci Code that made $758 million worldwide, and the follow-up film Angels & Demons (which Brown had actually written first) that made a considerably lower $486 million opted out this time He will instead produce with Brian Grazer.

The third story with symbologist Robert Langdon finds events set around Washington DC where the head of the Smithsonian Institute has been kidnapped and Langdon must confront the Freemasons, Noetic Science and a tattooed killer.

At last report The Lost Symbol script was being adapted by Oscar-nominated writer Steven Knight

Tom Hanks, who played Langdon in the first two films, is expected to reprise the role--but a deal is not yet signed yet