Morgan Spector is poised to star as Robert Langdon, with Rebecca Hall also in talks for the female lead, in Netflix’s TV adaptation of Dan Brown’s “The Secret of Secrets,” according to media reports. Spector would step into the role Tom Hanks famously played in the film adaptations of Brown’s “Angels & Demons,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “Inferno.” If the casting holds, Netflix is not just importing a book, it is importing a brand the mainstream already recognized and paid for on the big screen.

That matters because the adaptation has been on Netflix’s radar for more than a year. TheWrap previously reported that Brown is attached as an executive producer, Carlton Cuse is attached as showrunner, writer, and executive producer, and Genre-Arts’ Emma Forman is also attached as an EP. Representatives for Netflix, Spector, and Hall did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment, so the current state is “circling,” not finalized. Still, the direction is clear enough to set expectations for how Netflix wants this franchise to land: with recognizable talent at the center and a format that can expand beyond the movies’ time constraints.

Let’s talk about what Netflix is actually adapting. “The Secret of Secrets” follows Langdon as he races against ancient forces and time to rescue a missing scientist and her groundbreaking manuscript, discoveries that, according to the official logline, have the power to forever change humanity’s understanding of the mind. The narrative pitch is built for serialized tension: mysteries unfold over episodes, clues can stack, and the “time and forces” framing naturally supports season arcs.

This also places Netflix in a familiar Dan Brown ecosystem. “The Secret of Secrets,” published in September, is the sixth book featuring Robert Langdon. The previous books include “Angels & Demons” (2000), “The Da Vinci Code” (2003), “The Lost Symbol” (2009), “Inferno” (2013), and “Origin” (2017). On the film side, “Angels & Demons,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “Inferno” all got adaptations starring Hanks. “The Lost Symbol” went a different route, landing as a prequel TV show starring Ashley Zukerman as a young Robert Langdon.

So Netflix is choosing continuity and familiarity, but also adjusting the format. The Hanks films demonstrated the mainstream appeal of the Langdon formula: global settings, high-stakes puzzles, and a fast-moving plot designed to keep audiences turning pages. Meanwhile, “The Lost Symbol” showed Netflix (or at least the market) is willing to extend the Langdon world into episodic storytelling. A new adaptation of “The Secret of Secrets” suggests Netflix believes there is still runway for Langdon in TV, especially if it can keep the intellectual puzzle portion engaging without making it feel like homework.

Now consider the casting angle. Spector is best known for starring as George Russell in HBO’s “The Gilded Age.” He has also starred in “Black Rabbit,” “Boston Strangler,” and “Homeland,” among others. Hall, married to Spector, has appeared in “The End of It,” “The Listeners,” “The Beauty,” and “Ella McCay.” This pairing matters because it is not the same casting profile as Hanks. Netflix is trying to make Langdon feel current while still inheriting the original brand’s DNA, and the “female lead opposite Spector” framing implies Netflix wants a counterpart who can carry emotional stakes alongside the mystery mechanics.

From an operator’s perspective, the incentive structure here is obvious. IP like Dan Brown’s is expensive to reinvent from scratch, and the audience base is already established. The governance and risk management that comes with attaching big names helps as well: Brown executive produces, Carlton Cuse is the showrunner, writer, and executive producer, and Emma Forman is an EP. Even without deal details, those attachments suggest Netflix is building a production team with the experience and credibility that reduces creative and execution risk. In other words, this is Netflix treating the “how” as seriously as the “what.”

There is also a broader market signal for peers. Streamers are constantly weighing original development against licensed or pre-sold demand. A Langdon reboot is a data point in the ongoing debate: when you have a globally recognizable property, do you spend your slate budget proving the audience exists, or do you spend it proving you can scale the story in a new format? If Netflix proceeds, it will be testing whether “The Secret of Secrets” can capture both book readers and casual viewers in a serialized world.

For decision-makers watching from the sidelines, the takeaway is that Netflix is leaning into the proven machinery of popular thriller-literary franchises while adding TV-specific horsepower through a showrunner and a mid-to-early recognizable cast. The casting “in talks” status means nothing is final, but the stakes are still real: casting today can shape audience expectations, press cycles, and the creative room’s constraints for months. In this business, momentum is everything, and Netflix appears to be building momentum around Langdon once again.