‘Inferno’ Stars Tom Hanks And Felicity Jones Dish On The New Thriller [Video]

Inferno is the latest film adaptation of Dan Brown’s mysteries, all of which features professor-turned-sleuth Robert Langdon. And as Inferno nears its theatrical premiere in the United States, the film’s leads, Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones, are opening up about the project. As the stars talk about working together on the Dan Brown adaptation, it becomes clear that each of them experienced something completely different while working on the project. For Hanks, Inferno serves as a warning to the American public, while Jones draws parallels between her Inferno role and her character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Inferno Star Tom Hanks Hopes Americans Will Pay Attention To Film’s Themes

Tom Hanks sees signs in Inferno that foreshadow what may come to pass with the current presidential elections. The actor, who has previously played symbologist Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code (2006) and Angels & Demons (2009), says a theme in Inferno echoes what he sees in the media, considering the presidential campaigns with Americans seeking a quick fix to problems that require a greater investment of time and thought.

Inferno tells the story of billionaire scientist Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) who has gone mad and seeks to bring an end to war, poverty, and famine by eliminating half of the human race. Hanks says this simplified solution to the world’s greatest problems is representative of what he sees is going on in the real world.

“Down through history there’s been an awful lot of people who say: Here’s what the problem is, here’s what it was caused by, and all you have to do is my suggestion, there’s an easy way in order to make it go away,” Hanks said.

Tom goes on to explain his belief that the United States needs someone with the ability to analyze the scopes of our problems without letting bias interfere with determining the right course of action.

“…this is a marathon in order to solve not just the most obvious problems, but the ones that are coming down the pipe,” adds the Inferno star.

Tom adds that Inferno was as thrilling to make as it will be for audiences to watch, so he hopes fans won’t get too caught up in the seriousness of it. There’s fun to be had as well. Hanks certainly had fun making Inferno, from an in-depth crash course in art history, which covered everything from Dante’s nine circles of hell to his death mask, down to his worldly travels to work on sets in London, Paris, Rome, and Venice.

“Time and distance are actually characters in all of these films,” teases Tom Hanks.

Inferno Actress Felicity Jones Says Secrets Connect Sienna Brooks And Jyn Erso

In Inferno, Felicity Jones plays Dr. Sienna Brooks, and as might be expected, she plays second fiddle to Hanks’ Langdon in this third Dan Brown adaptation. And much like Langdon’s past leading ladies, Jones serves as more than just a female companion. While details aren’t being revealed, Felicity hints there’s much more to her Inferno character than a pretty face.

“I definitely wanted to play that in the beginning,” said Jones, “that she was someone with a secret, so that perhaps when you watch the film again you could start to see the clues that something else is going on for Sienna, that not everything is as it seems.”

Felicity compares Sienna to her Rogue One character only in the way that they both are characters who seem to be concealing much about their personalities. Even in choosing to take on the roles, Jones says she had different motivations in coming to each project. Getting on board with the Star Wars film presented obvious perks, says Felicity, adding that she was also eager to star in Rogue One because her family has always been huge Star Wars fans.

For Inferno, however, there were different reasons compelling Felicity to take on the role of Sienna Brooks. Jones says she was drawn to the story and, like Tom Hanks, recognized the contemporary themes within Inferno. Jones also cites the opportunity to work with director Ron Howard as another chief reason for accepting the Inferno role.

Inferno opens in theaters on Friday, October 28.

[Featured Image by Sean Gallup/Getty Images]