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Days after an Ontario school board temporarily pulled copies of Philip Pullman's popular fantasy novel The Golden Compass from their shelves, the people bringing it to the big screen, including actor Daniel Craig, have come to its defence.

"These books are not anti-religious. I think that mainly they're anti-misuse of power - whether it's religious or political," Mr. Craig, best known for his portrayal of James Bond, said after being asked about the controversy dogging the novel. The actor, who plays the explorer Lord Asriel in the film, was speaking during an interview in London yesterday.

"It's good that it has that controversy," he said. "It's a debate, and that's what maybe there needs to be more of. I actually believe that these films, if they all succeed in coming out, will do the church a world of good. Dan Brown's book [The Da Vinci Code] proves that - there's been more Catholic take-ups because of that book."

The Halton Catholic District School Board has pulled the novel and is reviewing Mr. Pullman's entire trilogy, known as His Dark Materials, to decide if the books are suitable for its young readers. Other boards in Ontario are also reconsidering the placement of The Golden Compass on their shelves. The cinematic version opens in Canada on Dec. 7.

There has been criticism from other quarters as well: Bill Donohoe, the president of the Catholic League in the United States, says Mr. Pullman's books promote "atheism for kids." The league is urging supporters to boycott the film's release. Interestingly, some Pullman fan sites have complained that the studio behind the film, New Line, has diluted the books' criticism of religious authority.

The film's director, Chris Weitz, who hopes to film Mr. Pullman's entire trilogy, echoed Mr. Craig's sentiments. "I don't happen to believe that His Dark Materials is an anti-religious or anti-Catholic series of books. I think that Philip Pullman is against the abuse of religion, the abuse of God for political power."

His Dark Materials tells the story of Lyra, a girl in an alternate world who becomes a pawn in a power struggle waged by an all-powerful group called the Magisterium. That body, which many interpret as a fictional stand-in for the Catholic church, seeks obedience through social control, especially the control of children as they reach puberty. The God figure in the novels is called the Authority.

Neil MacCarthy, communications director for the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, said yesterday his organization "expects our school boards, their leadership and our Catholic trustees to ensure responsible decisions are made about the books they offer in their schools' libraries. It is our understanding that several boards are taking a look at this particular book."

Toronto bookseller Ben McNally said he finds the review of a book that has already been sitting on shelves for more than a decade, more than a little odd. "I mean where have these people been? I wonder whether anything is served by taking a book off the shelves while [a review] is happening, especially when the book has been out there as long as that one has."