Maher: Religion a comedy smorgasbord

NEW YORK, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- TV comedian Bill Maher says it was easy to generate material for his new movie "Religulous" because religion is innately funny to him.

The host of "Real Time with Bill Maher" said while "Religulous" will likely create controversy when released this week, he is happy to have finally created a film based on one of his favorite comedic topics, the New York Post reported Sunday.

"Religion makes me laugh, and it should make you laugh, because it's a side of a barn, comedically," he told the newspaper. "If you can't hit the folks who believe in the talking snake and the man who lived in the whale and the raining frogs and the walking on water -- it just goes on and on."

When asked if the documentary-style movie on most major religions could impact his ongoing HBO series, Maher told the Post he is no stranger to controversy.

"Probably not more than I've already had to endure," he said regarding potential fallout from "Religulous," which opens Wednesday. "We don't get many guests that other shows routinely do, and that's partly because of things I say that are a little too controversial to even associate with."