The $ 180-million fantasy epic movie, “The Golden Compass”, is based on the first volume of the award-winning trilogy "His Dark Materials" by religious skeptic Philip Pullman.

Due to be released on December 7, the trilogy was already condemned by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals saying that the film will convey children to read Pullman’s book and fall into the individualistic world and atheism, the Associated Press reports.

Still, there are people who appreciated the trilogy, like a liberal scholar who called it a "theological masterpiece.”

On the other side are the secularists who complain that the movie doesn’t stick to the author’s religious critique. They feel as Pullman has sold them, because he had described himself as atheist and agnostic.

The plot of the movie “The Golden Compass” spins around Lyra, a 12-year-old girl, who travels to the Arctic, to the edge of another world, where she is trapped in a battle between good and evil. The movie stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

The New York-based Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights boycotted the film in October saying that it sells atheism to kids at Christmas time in fashion.

"The three novels are extremely anti-faith in general, anti- Christian and anti-Catholic in particular, and pro-atheism," said Kiera McCaffrey, director of communications for the Catholic League. "In each successive book, the anti-God agenda gets progressively stronger."

The controversial religious content was cut in the film, according to director Chris Weitz, in order to make the film more commercial.

"I think it's a shame that people are reacting to a movie they haven't seen by attacking a book they haven't understood," he said.

One example is that in the movie the evil organization that dominates the world is not “the church” as in the book, but the “Magisterium”, that still receives critics because it is a Catholic term.

Deborah Forte, the film co-producer, said that not one younger reader mentioned religion to her in the 12 years she has been related with the movie and the books. According to her, the children love the story and the characters.

The actors also defended the movie and denied there is any anti-Christian content, rolling out the film's stars in a last minute public relations blitz.

"I don't see it as that, but it's always laid out for interpretation," Nicole Kidman, who plays a steely villain, told CBS News. "But I would be surprised if people actually saw the film and felt that."

Actor Daniel Craig said the incident was overblown. "I think the Catholic Church will survive," Craig said. "It's survived much worse things than this."