CATHEDRAL BAILS
Church won’t allow ‘Kremlin’ film sets
THE Catholic Church has pulled the plug on plans to build Russian-style film sets in Westminster Cathedral.
Producers working on Sir Ridley Scott’s Napoleon biopic wanted to create backdrops modelled on Moscow’s Kremlin, which was briefly occupied by the French emperor during his 1812 invasion.
But insiders feared it could cause offence during Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.
The Apple TV crew is understood to have used CGI instead, costing a rumoured £500,000. A source said: “The idea of turning such a site into something so closely linked to Putin was problematic. This is a blockbuster production and the U-turn caused a bit of fuss, to say the least.”
An Apple TV spokesman said: “Filming took place at Westminster Cathedral for one day on March 29, with all relevant permissions.”
Westminster Cathedral is built in a Byzantine style, similar to that of many Russian churches.
Napoleon, featuring Joker star Joaquin Phoenix, is due out next year.
Westminster Cathedral was approached
for comment.