Scientology Pix Lack Sect Appeal

Monday, June 07, 1999
New York Daily News

Image-tenders at the Church of Scientology should be on high alert this summer.

Hollywood insiders who've gotten a sneak peek at "Bowfinger," the Eddie Murphy-Steve Martin comedy about a religion called Mind Head, say the film is an obvious tweaking of the beliefs of Scientologists, among them John Travolta and Tom Cruise.

"Bowfinger," which opens July 23, has Murphy playing Kit Ramsey, a movie mega-star deeply dependent on Mind Head's cold and controlling leader, played by Terence Stamp.

Martin, who wrote the script, has said in published reports that Mind Head is a "pastiche" of spiritual-guidance groups that hold sway in Hollywood. And Church of Scientology spokeswoman Janet Weiland told us, "I spoke to the people at Universal, and they assure me that Bowfinger is not about the Church of Scientology. I have to believe them."

But Mr. Showbiz' Jeffrey Wells says on his Net site: "I've seen the movie, and all I have to say is, 'Yeah, right.' "

Scientology followers may have had more to worry about from a now-dormant HBO biopic of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

The script, by John Stockwell and Nancy Stoddart, is said to be evenhanded and scrupulously sourced from Hubbard's own writings. But "it's obviously not the film the Scientologists would make," says an insider, who reports that the screenplay doesn't overlook Hubbard's two marriages and the suicide of his son.

The cable network had quietly been developing the project for several years. But a rep for new HBO production head Colin Callender says that it is "no longer in active development."

Was the project too hot for HBO to handle Ñ given the church's past court battle with the network's corporate cousin, Time magazine?

"That's pure speculation," says the HBO rep, adding that "a regime changes and takes a look at the old one's slate."

Meanwhile, Variety, the showbiz bible, has reporter Dan Cox on the Hollywood-and-religion beat.

Among other things, Cox says he's looking into the Church of Scientology's alleged role in Tom Cruise's courtship of Nicole Kidman. Cruise spokeswoman Pat Kingsley tells us: "They're both pretty cute and they were both attracted to each other. He never sought any advice from anybody on how to court her."

Will Variety editor Peter Bart publish the whole story? Bart says he will, probably next week.