It's Opie from Back in the Day vs. Opus Day...At last, we'll really see how powerful the ultra-right wing Catholics are: Ron Howard done set-it-off, yo!

Per E!, director Ron Howard defended his postion thusly:

"It's not theology. It's not history. To start off with a disclaimer...Spy thrillers don't start off with disclaimers."

Of course, there's little chance of a boycott having much effect on a movie whose marketing budget exceeds that of the Vatican's coffers. But it will be interesting to see who goes to see the movie in the States, and how it will play in rural areas. There's nothing like a boycott ordered by a religious group to bring out the curiousity of the hinterlands.