Vatican weighing in on "good cinema"

By Eric J. Lyman

TAORMINA, Italy (Hollywood Reporter) - The Vatican said Wednesday that it is working on a set of guidelines for what it considers "good cinema."

The move comes two days after the Vatican told producers of "Angels & Demons" that their follow-up to "The Da Vinci Code" doesn't qualify.

The Vatican on Monday barred Sony Pictures' "Angels & Demons" from shooting inside any of Rome's churches. On Wednesday, the film crew said it will move a bit further south and shoot the church scenes for the film inside the former royal palace in Caserta, outside Naples, a secular building.

Priest Marco Fibbi, a spokesman for the Diocese of Rome, said Wednesday that the church was working on a set of guidelines that will determine whether a film contains the "proper" religious sentiment.

The Church staunchly opposed "The Da Vinci Code," the 2006 adaptation of the Dan Brown best-seller. "Angels & Demons," also based on one of Brown's novels, is entirely set in Rome. As with its predecessor, "Angels & Demons" stars Tom Hanks and is being directed by Ron Howard.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter