Akiva Goldsman penned the 2006 blockbuster hit The Da Vinci Code based on Dan Brown’s bestselling novel and he has now been reportedly given $3.8 million to pen the follow-up Angels & Demons for Columbia Pictures, director Ron Howard and will star Tom Hanks as he reprises his role as Robert Langdon.
Goldsman penned the screenplays for such films as A Beautiful Mind (nice!) and Batman & Robin (ouch!), but I have to wonder if he is worth almost $4 million. I mean, come on, was Da Vinci Code really all that good? On top of that was the screenwriting any good? Last I checked the only real thing that earned any acclaim in that picture was Ian McKellen’s performance, and even that is a stretch.
This reminds me of when Shane Black was given a reported $4 million to write The Long Kiss Goodnight, that didn’t end too well, but at least to Black’s credit it was an original screenplay while Akiva has a national best-selling novel to adapt his script from.
Granted, I think it is a good thing for screenwriters to get some much deserved recognition and dough, but I don’t think a by-the-numbers summer blockbuster is the first place to start. If these studios would start shelling out a few extra dollars for some of the more thought provoking scripts maybe we wouldn’t have to worry about these piles of shit we are suffering through in the theaters now days.
Aside from Angels & Demons, if you want to keep tabs on Akiva keep a look out for his other writing projects I Am Legend starring Will Smith.
