Chapman wrote on the film's website. "Although books have put atheists into the intellectual mainstream, The Ledge is the first Hollywood drama to target the broader movie-going public with an openly atheist hero in a production big enough to attract A-list stars. This is unprecedented."

"I've traveled a lot in the Midwest and the South and seen a lot of people like Joe, the fundamentalist in the film," he told CNN's Kyra Phillips Monday. "And I've never seen a portrayal of that kind of a character put in conflict with someone who shares my beliefs, which are that there probably isn't any God and we need to think about, you know, reality in life in a rational, humane way."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue has attacked Chapman, but stopped short of calling for a boycott.

A trailer for the film is available here.