Tom Hanks reprises* the role of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon in the film version of Dan Brown’s thriller “Inferno,” unlocking more mysterious codes as the world-famous character he describes as “the smartest guy in the room.”

    “Inferno,” which follows the 2013 blockbuster* “The Da Vinci Code,” based on Brown’s book of the same name, centers on “Divine Comedy,” the masterpiece by Italian poet Dante Alighieri.

    The plot sees Langdon follow a trail of clues about the poet in a race to save the world’s population from a deadly artificial plague.

    Principal photography has begun on the film as production gets under way in Italy, with many of the scenes being shot in many of Florence’s most renowned buildings and piazzas.

    “I like it because ... there is a degree of mystery and at the same time a great amount of predictability that goes along with it,” Hanks said in Florence on Monday.

    Hanks compared the role of Langdon to playing Sherlock Holmes.

    “... As a selfish actor, I don’t mind playing the smartest guy in the room. I don’t get to play the best-looking or ... the tallest, but I do get to play as Robert Langdon.”

    The film, which also stars British actress Felicity Jones, is being directed by Ron Howard. Howard previously directed the film adaptations of “The Da Vinci Code” as well as Brown’s “Angels and Demons,” which also featured Langdon.

    (SD-Agencies)