• Ad Age, Tuesday, November 28, 2006 12:30 PM

Pope Benedict XVI will lead a Vatican audience of 7,000 in watching the premiere of New Line Cinema's "The Nativity Story," which is intended to be a humanistic character study of Mary and Joseph, their journey to Bethlehem and Jesus' birth. It's the first agreement by the world headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church to host a premiere of a Hollywood film.

The studio went through several rounds of screenings for Vatican officials, bishops and priests before getting the nod, just a few weeks ago, under the condition that it would be a more subdued affair than the typical Hollywood red-carpet arrivals. A prayer was to precede the viewing.

"The Nativity Story," with a $65 million production and marketing budget, opens Friday on 2,700 screens, making it one of the widest launches for an overtly religious themed movie since "The Passion of the Christ."

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