One of Angels & Demons’ key departures from its source novel involves a romantic subplot between hero Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks, reprising his Da Vinci Code role) and his female counterpart, Italian physicist Vittoria Vetra (Munich’s Ayelet Zurer). To be more precise, there isn’t one. That is, unless you count the occasional fleeting glance.
So why were the novel’s love scenes left on the cutting room floor? In an exclusive interview with Hollywood.com’s Katie Bain, Zurer insisted that they were omitted purely for pacing reasons: “There was really no time to grab a kiss anywhere,” the Israeli-born actress explained. “The story is not a love story … But there is some flirting going on, and for sure Vittoria notices Professor Langdon, almost right away.”
Zurer’s performance opposite Hanks has thus far has received positive marks from critics, most of whom consider her a major upgrade over Da Vinci‘s Audrey Tautou. Angels & Demons opens nationwide this Friday, May 15th.
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