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| Hanks Incurs Nuns' Wrath Nice guy Tom Hanks was challenged by angry English nuns yesterday when filming began on "blasphemous" thriller The Da Vinci Code. The gnashing sisters were part of a bigger demonstration that took place outside Lincoln Cathedral, which is doubling for Westminster Abbey. Filming was only permitted to take place at the holy site after producers handed over a $180,000 bribe, sorry, donation. The donation however didn't stop the Cathedral Dean (The Very Reverend Alec Knight) from slating Dan Brown's source novel as "a load of old tosh". |
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| Bell stops tolling for Hanks film The filming of a multi-million pound movie version of The Da Vinci Code is due to start in Lincolnshire this week. Hollywood star Tom Hanks is expected to record scenes at Lincoln Cathedral during the next five days. Great Tom, the bell which strikes the hour at the cathedral, will be silent for the first time since World War II. As a result the cathedral will be closed to visitors on Monday and Tuesday, and filming will continue until Friday. Oscar winners Dan Brown's best-selling book The Da Vinci Code has caused a storm of controversy over its questioning of Christianity. Religious leaders at the cathedral have defended the use of the church for the film, saying the story is a fictional one. Two weeks of set-building has transformed the interior of the cathedral into a Westminster lookalike after church leaders there refused to allow filming. The cast and crew of 200 as well as around 400 extras will start w**k on Monday. The book, which mixes art history, mythology and medieval history, is still near the top of the best seller lists. Winchester Cathedral and the Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh are also being used for filming parts of the movie. Hanks will play the lead role with Audrey Tautou the female co-star. Oscar winner Ron Howard will direct the movie. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| 'Da Vinci chapel' filming starts Officials have closed the Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian for a week to allow filming of the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The medieval building has found new popularity because of its association with the best-selling novel. But concern has been expressed that the unprecedented interest in the chapel will be damaging unless it is strictly controlled. The chapel's trustees said protection of the site was always under review. Agreement for the use of the location has been agreed between the trustees and Rose Line Productions. The film will star Tom Hanks as Professor Robert Langdon. The 15th century chapel first experienced a surge in visitors after the book's plot suggested it was built to house the secret of the Holy Grail. Despite being derided by the Catholic church and many historians, Dan Brown's w**k has sold 17 million copies worldwide. Trustees spokesman Stuart Beattie has said he is confident his colleagues will feel the film is value for money. Location fees alone could generate £100,000. A spokesman for Rose Line Productions described Rosslyn as a "magnificent" building which would enhance the quality of the film. Hanks will play the lead role with Audrey Tautou the female co-star. Oscar winner Ron Howard is directing. Provost Sam Campbell, Midlothian Council's tourism spokesman, said he was "delighted" that the area was going to be displayed all over the world. He said the money the trust was receiving would help with the restoration of the chapel and he dismissed fears over the impact of mass tourism. 'Different identity' "It is a small village and numbers can be a problem. But we would rather see that as a problem than no people at all," he said. Graham Harris, owner of the Old Roslin Hotel, has changed the name of its restaurant to "The Grail" in reference to the book's content. He said: "To be honest it was my son's idea. It was to give us a different identity. "We have always had business from the chapel. I have been here for 30 years. "We have had filming before but never quite on this scale." Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Group urges Da Vinci film changes Catholic group Opus Dei wants "references that hurt Catholics" to be removed from the film version of Dan Brown's hit novel The Da Vinci Code. "The Da Vinci Code offers a deformed image of the Catholic Church," Opus Dei said in a statement released in Rome. But the group added it would not call for a boycott of the highly anticipated film, due out in May. The book portrays Opus Dei as a power-hungry movement bent on covering up the truth about Christ's bloodline. The group did not say in its statement which references it wanted removed, but studio Sony insisted the movie was a w**k of fiction. The film was "not a religious tract, and it is certainly not meant to criticise any group, religious or otherwise," said Jim Kennedy of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Opus Dei said changes to the film would be appreciated by Catholics "particularly in these days in which everyone has noted the painful consequences of intolerance" - a reference to the violent protests sparked by the publication of cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad. However, it said it would not urge boycotts, and would follow a "more constructive" path. The novel, full of conspiracy theories in a thriller style, is about two code-breakers who try to track down the truth behind the Holy Grail. It has caught the imaginations of millions. The Roman Catholic Church has said the book is pure fiction. The film, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Opus Dei was formed in 1928 in Madrid by the priest Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer. Its name means "the w**k of God". The fundamental idea was to encourage Catholic lay people to see religion as something that should direct every minute of their lives, rather than being a matter of just turning up for Mass and confession. Members are expected to live holy lives, evangelise people they know, and observe daily religious devotions. Story from BBC NEWS: |