Is there any chance that after repeatedly playing the smartest guy in the room, you actually become smarter? That's perhaps a question Tom Hanks can answer, because once again, he's back as symbologist Robert Langdon in Inferno - the latest Dan Brown adaptation brought to the screen by Ron Howard.

Tom Hanks is back as symbologist Robert Langdon in Inferno - the latest Dan Brown adaptation brought to the screen by Ron Howard.

The director and Hanks have joined their co-stars Felicity Jones and Omar Sy on the red carpet for the movie's premiere at the Sony Centre in Berlin.

Sony Pictures' "Inferno," follows Langdon as he wakes up in Florence with amnesia and has to decipher clues to stop a plague being released by an elusive billionaire who tries to tackle overpopulation.

Much of the film showcases Florence's historic buildings and piazzas, as Langdon speeds through the city's rich history, solving riddles related to a 14th century saga "Divine Comedy," about a man's journey through 'Inferno,' or hell.

"Several years ago I heard that the population on planet earth had tripled in the last 80 years. I got very concerned about it," said Ron Howrad, Inferno director.

"I had always wanted to write about Dante and found a way to fuse the two together and I am hoping that the book and the movie on some level raise awareness."

Actor Tom Hanks said the real draw for him to reprise his role as fictional symbologist Robert Langdon in the film adaptation of Dan Brown's thriller "Inferno" was the chance to be "the smartest guy in the room."

"I love playing Robert Langdon. I love being the smartest guy in the room. I love running into the Palazzo Vecchio, knowing what all the art is, knowing what all the architecture represents, knowing what all the short cuts is. It makes me feel cool," he said.

Director Howard believes the film will both entertain and provoke discussion.