Recently Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere posted some musings on the career of Ewan McGregor. He’s gone from an indie darling and an up and comer to a guy whose presence in a smaller film indicates that it’s probably bad, and who seems to only appear in actually terrible big budget movies. What happened to Ewan? Wells speculates that the Star Wars prequels broke him; the actor’s descent certainly can be traced to around that period.

It began around then but it continues today. McGregor has joined the cast of Angels & Demons, the prequel to The DaVinci Code. McGregor will be playing a ‘Vatican insider’ who helps Tom Hanks as he investigates some bunk or other for two excruciating hours. It’s obviously a good paycheck for him, but I wish that Ewan was using stuff like this and The Island to make better little movies*.

Also cast in the film is the gorgeous Ayelet Zurer, who will be playing Hanks’ romantic interest. She’s playing an Italian scientist who helps Hanks as he takes on – ready for it? – the Illuminati.

I want to see a third film where Hanks investigates how the Eternal Jew took down the World Trade Center in the name of Zionism.

*Here’s hoping I Love You, Philip Morris isn’t a stinker and reverses the trend.