A few years ago, a novel by Dan Brown caused such a stir in the Philippines that Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino wrote a letter to the author. Why? Because Brown called Manila “the gates of hell,” with “suffocating pollution and horrifying sex trade.” The description was for Brown’s book Inferno.
When the book first came out, Tolentino wrote Brown a letter, saying: “Truly, our place is an entry to heaven. We hope that this letter enlightens you and may guide you the next time you cite Manila in any of your works.”
Brown’s previous books The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons were adapted to the big screen, and Inferno follows suit. In Inferno, Tom Hanks returns as professor Robert Langdon, and follows a series of clues using Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy to stop a plague. The adaptation, directed by Ron Howard, will be set in Venice and Budapest, but failed to mention Manila.
The adaptation is set to be released in October 2016.
Will Tolentino’s letter encourage Howard to shoot scenes in the Philippines? What do you think?
