Nun upstages star Hanks
By Daily Mail reporter
16 August 2005

When he walks on to a movie set, he usually gets star treatment.
But as Tom Hanks arrived at Lincoln Cathedral yesterday, he found himself somewhat upstaged.

A handful of protesters were making their feelings known about the decision to film scenes from The Da Vinci Code in the historic building.

Led by a Catholic nun, Sister Mary Michael, they claimed the movie, based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown, should be filmed elsewhere. She led a 12-hour prayer vigil to push the message home.

The controversial thriller is the story of a Vatican conspiracy to suppress the supposed marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

And despite the dean of Lincoln Cathedral branding the book 'a load of old tosh' he has agreed to let the movie be filmed there. He and the church authorities said yes after the producers donated £100,000 to the coffers.

Parts of its interior will serve as a double for Westminster Abbey, where church authorities refused to take part. Other locations include the Louvre in Paris, Winchester Cathedral and Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh.

Yesterday Hanks, 49, who plays the hero, university lecturer Robert Langdon, was driven the few dozen yards from his hotel to the cathedral. He quickly disappeared inside the building with director Ron Howard and co-star Sir Ian McKellen.

Sister Mary Michael, 61, said afterwards: 'I just don't think it's right that they are filming this story here.

The rest