CERN finds Angels and Demons in its lab

William Atkins
Thursday, 12 February 2009 18:41

Science - Energy

Portions of the new movie Angels & Demons, inspired by the novel of American author Dan Brown, was filmed at the CERN facility near Geneva. Recently, actors Tom Hanks and Ayelet Zurer, along with director Ron Howard, showed the facility’s personnel footage from the movie that was shot there.


According to the CERN press release Hollywood comes to CERN, February 12, 2009, “When Sony Pictures first contacted CERN early in 2007 about filming part of Angels & Demons there, the laboratory quickly saw an opportunity and was excited to participate.”

CERN is the abbreviation for “European Organization for Nuclear Research.” It is headquartered in the northwestern suburbs of Geneva, Switzerland, on the French-Swiss border.

CERN provides particle accelerators and other related infrastructure to scientists for use in high-energy physics research. It is widely known for its new Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest and most energetic particle accelerator in the world.

It is located in a circular tunnel, which has a circumference of 27 kilometers (17 miles) and underground depths ranging from 50 to 175 meters.

In addition, CERN’s research director Sergio Bertolucci stated, “The fact that Angels & Demons is a best-selling novel and now a Hollywood movie gives us the opportunity to show how exciting the reality of antimatter research is. Both fiction and science want to take us from the ordinary to the extraordinary; the difference is that science has to operate entirely within reality.” [CERN]

The movie Angels & Demons is scheduled for a worldwide release date of May 15, 2009. It was developed by Sony Pictures.

For stills from the making of the motion picture involving Hanks, Howard, and Zurer, please go to "Angels & Demons Photography."

Movie director Ron Howard spoke to the CERN audience during their visit. Howard said, “It’s been a privilege working with CERN. The scientists here have been incredibly helpful in explaining the science to us, and giving us access to some incredible places. I think what they’re doing here is fantastic.” [CERN]

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