God is to be cut from the film versions of
His Dark Materials
in case it upsets people. Seems a bit pointless as the whole trilogy is about an attack on the church and the way it tries to rule people's lives.
Weitz, who directed American Pie and About A Boy, said New Line feared that any anti-religiosity in the film would make the project 'unviable financially'.
He said: 'All my best efforts will be directed towards keeping the film as liberating and iconoclastic an experience as I can.
'But there may be some modification of terms.'
'Curtails freedom'
Weitz said he had visited Pullman, who had told him that the Authority could 'represent any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual, whether it be religious, political, totalitarian, fundamentalist, communist, what have you'.
He added: 'I have no desire to change the nature or intentions of the villains of the piece, but they may appear in more subtle guises.'
There are a number of Christian websites which attack the trilogy for their depiction of the church and of God, but Pullman has denied his books are anti-religious.
His agent told the Times newspaper that Pullman was happy with the adaptation so far.
'Of course New Line want to make money, but Mr Weitz is a wonderful director and Philip is very supportive.
'You have to recognise that it is a challenge in the climate of Bush's America.'
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