Da Vinci Code Sequel

Random House will release Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol, in September, in what may be a Hail Mary that bolsters the flagging publishing industry. According to Publisher's Weekly, the much anticipated sequel to worldwide bestseller The Da Vinci Code will follow protagonist Robert Langdon over a twelve-hour period. Brown spent five years on the book, and said that combining his research with the novel's compressed timeframe was "an exhilarating challenge." A Knopf Doubleday executive called the new sequel "well worth the wait." Random House plans to print 5 million copies of The Lost Symbol during its first printing. There are more than 81 million copies of 2003's The Da Vinci Code in circulation worldwide, and a film of the prequel, Angels and Demons, directed by Ron Howard, will be released May 15.