Published: June 17, 2008
On Monday, Rome's diocese said it has barred the producers of "Angels & Demons" from filming the prequel to the "The Da Vinci Code," in two of its churches due to the anger many Catholic leaders had over the previous blockbuster movie.
Monsignor Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the diocese, said the producers of the film, which will be directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, were turned down because the movie "does not conform to our views."
The two churches the crew had asked to film inside were the Santa Maria del Popolo and Santa Maria della Vittoria, two jewels in the heart of Rome that include paintings by Caravaggio, sculptures by Bernini and a chapel designed by Raphael.
Fibbi said permission was originally denied back in 2007, but the issue has re-surfaced now that filming is ongoing in Rome. The film produced by Sony was put on hold during the Writers Guild of America strike and is now scheduled for release in May 2009.
Fibbi told the Associated Press, "It's a film that treats religious issues in a way that contrasts with common religious sentiment. We would be helping them create a work that might well be beautiful but that does not conform to our views."
Fibbi acknowledged that the controversy over writer Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" and its movie version weighed heavily on the decision.
The story prompted calls for boycotts by church leaders worldwide regarding the idea that Jesus married and fathered children and by depicting Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic movement, as a murderous cult.
"This is a prequel to 'The Da Vinci Code' and it's clear that the theme is similar," Fibbi said. Fibbi however added that the ban would not stop the crew from filming outside of the churches.
Brown's "Angels and Demons" is a religious thriller about an secret brotherhood called the Illuminati, and a high-tech weapon threatening to destroy the Vatican.
It features Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist, played by Hanks in the movie.
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