The director/star of new documentary BLOODLINE fears the film's success will ruin plans to excavate what is believed to be the tomb of Mary Magdalene.
British filmmaker Bruce Burgess and a team of amateur archaeologists stumbled across the ancient burial chamber in the countryside around French village Rennes-le-Chateau while researching myths thrown up by Dan Brown's bestseller the Da Vinci Code.
And now Burgess has handed over his findings, which appear in the rivetting new film, to the French government in the hope of persuading officials to excavate the area this summer (08).
But he fears his own film will scupper plans - because it will highlight what experts could find in the tomb.
In Bloodline, archaeologist Ben Hammott, manages to poke a small camera through a hole in the roof of the tomb. The footage he captured reveals a mummified corpse and tests have proven the body hails from the Middle East.
Burgess tells WENN, "We're all absolutely gagging to go back, so when the French government has worked out how we can actually drill without the whole lot dropping on top of the corpse, we'll be there.
"So far, there appears to be no red tape (restrictions), but I imagine that will start to become a factor if this film becomes more well known.
"If everyone starts talking about Jesus and Mary and the Vatican, it's bound to pass the desk of the French president and it'll be an interesting phonecall if the Vatican ever called the President and said, 'Y'know, we just don't want to know what's in there.'"
Burgess' film sets out to pose questions about theories Jesus and Mary were married - and that Mary fled to France with the couple's children after the crucifixion.