''The New Pope'' is a
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
created and directed by
Paolo Sorrentino
Paolo Sorrentino (; born 31 May 1970) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer. His 2013 film ''The Great Beauty'' won the Academy Awards, Academy Award, the Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe, and the British Academy of Film and Te ...
for
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HBO ...
,
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
and
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
. It is a continuation of the 2016 series ''
The Young Pope
''The Young Pope'' is a drama television series created and directed by Paolo Sorrentino for Sky Atlantic, HBO, and Canal+. The series stars Jude Law as the disruptive Pope Pius XIII and Diane Keaton as his confidante, Sister Mary, in a Vatic ...
'', originally announced as its second season. The nine-episode series stars
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...
, reprising his role as Pope Pius XIII, and
John Malkovich
John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...
as Pope John Paul III, the titular new pope.
It was co-produced by European production companies
The Apartment
''The Apartment'' is a 1960 American romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond. It stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, Dav ...
, Wildside, Haut et Court TV and
Mediapro
Mediaproducción, S.L.U., better known as Mediapro, is a multimedia communications group in Spain founded in April 1994 in Barcelona. The company is well involved in movie and television production.
The company holds branch offices in Madrid, Se ...
.
The series premiered on 10 January 2020 on
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HBO ...
in Italy.
Cast
Main
*
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He received a British Academy Film Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2007, he received an Honorary Césa ...
as Pope Pius XIII (born Lenny Belardo), the comatose pope
*
John Malkovich
John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...
as Pope John Paul III (born Sir John Brannox), the titular new pope
*
Silvio Orlando
Silvio Orlando (born 30 June 1957) is an Italian actor.
Orlando was born and raised in Naples, where he started acting in theatre in 1976. He made his film debut in 1988 with a supporting role in the comedy '' Kamikazen: Last Night in Milan'' ...
as
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Angelo Voiello,
Camerlengo and
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of His Holiness (Latin: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae,
it, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), commonly known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the Holy See's Secretariat of State, which is the ...
/ Cardinal Hernández, an opponent to Voiello during the
conclave
A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church.
Co ...
*
Cécile de France
Cécile de France (; born 17 July 1975) is a Belgian actress. After achieving success in French cinema hits such as ''L'Art (délicat) de la séduction'' (2001) and ''Irène'' (2002), she gained international attention for her lead roles in ''Hi ...
as Sofia Dubois, in charge of marketing for the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
*
Javier Cámara
Javier Cámara Rodríguez (born 19 January 1967) is a Spanish actor.
He became known for two television roles as a priest in '' ¡Ay, señor, señor!'' and ''Éste es mi barrio''. He has since featured in films such as '' Torrente, the Dumb Arm ...
as Cardinal Bernardo Gutiérrez, the advisor of the Holy See
*
Ludivine Sagnier
Ludivine Sagnier (born 3 July 1979) is a French actress and model who has appeared on screen since 1989. She was nominated three times for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress for ''Swimming Pool'' (2003), '' Peter Pan'' (2003), and ''A ...
as Ester Aubry, former wife of a member of the
Pontifical Swiss Guard
The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; la, Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; it, Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; german: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; french: Garde suisse pontificale; rm, Guardia svizra papala)
is ...
*
:it:Maurizio Lombardi as Cardinal Mario Assente
* Marcello Romolo as Pope Francis II (born Tommaso Viglietti), the first pope elected during Pius XIII's coma
*
Mark Ivanir
Mark Alexandrovich Ivanir ( he, מארק איווניר; uk, Марк Олександрович Іванір; russian: Марк Александрович Иванир) is a Ukrainian-born Israeli actor known for his character roles on America ...
as Bauer, the
Ambassador of the United States to the Holy See
*
Henry Goodman
Henry Goodman (born 23 April 1950) is a RADA trained British actor. He has appeared on television and radio, in film and in the theatre.
Early life
He attended the Central Foundation Boys' School and joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, L ...
as Danny, Sir John Brannox's butler
*
Massimo Ghini
Massimo Ghini (born 12 October 1954) is an Italian actor. Life
He has worked with Franco Zeffirelli, Giorgio Strehler, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, and Gabriele Lavia, among others.
He has been married to actress Nancy Brilli, and is the father ...
as Cardinal Spalletta, the Pope's personal secretary
*
Ulrich Thomsen
Ulrich Thomsen (born 6 December 1963) is a Danish actor and filmmaker, known for his role of Kai Proctor in the Cinemax original series ''Banshee'' (2013-2016).
Biography
Ulrich Thomsen was born in (Næsby) Odense, Denmark and graduated from th ...
as Doctor Helmer Lindegard
Recurring
* Ramón García (
:es:Ramón García Monteagudo) as Cardinal Aguirre
*
Antonio Petrocelli
Antonio Petrocelli (born 18 September 1953) is an Italian actor.
Partial filmography Film
* '' The Pool Hustlers'' (1982)
* '' The Eyes, the Mouth'' (1982)
* '' Secrets Secrets'' (1985)
* '' Il tenente dei carabinieri'' (1986)
* ''The Strangene ...
as Monsignor Luigi Cavallo, Cardinal Voiello's right-hand man
*
Kiruna Stamell as the Abbess of the Monastery of Saint Therese, the head of the cloister nuns
*
Nora Waldstätten
Nora Marie Theres Beatrice Elisabeth Waldstätten (born 1 December 1981), also formerly known as Nora von Waldstätten, is an Austrian actress.
Early life
Born Nora Marie Theres eatrice Elisabethvon Waldstätten in Vienna, Austria in 1981, Nora ...
as Sister Lisette, a cloister nun whose mother is ill
* Jessica Piccolo Valerani as Sister Pamela, a nun nursing comatose Pope Pius XIII in Venice
* Kika Georgiou as the Woman in Red, the head of a constant vigil over comatose Pope Pius XIII in Venice
* Nadie Kammallaweera as Sister Suree, a nun serving the pope in the Vatican
* Unknown actor as Girolamo Matera, Voiello's best friend who has a severe disability
* Massimo Cagnina as Don Mario, a priest who hosts Esther at his church
* Eco Andriolo Ranzi as Sister Caterina, a young cloister nun who commits
fornication with a refugee
* Agnieszka Jania as Sister Ivanka, a young cloister nun
* Zaki Bibawi Ayyad as Faisal, a refugee hiding in the Vatican Gardens who later commits fornication with Sister Caterina
*
Tomas Arana
Tomas Clifford Arana (born April 3, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the films ''The Hunt for Red October'' (1990), '' The Bodyguard'' (1992), ''L.A. Confidential'' (1997), ''Gladiator'' (2000), ''The Bourne Supremac ...
as Tomas Altbruck, Sofia's husband
*
Claudio Bigagli
Claudio Bigagli (born 8 December 1955) is an Italian actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films and television shows since 1976. He starred in '' Fiorile'', which was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.
Selected filmography
* '' The ...
as Duilio Guicciardini, the
Italian Minister of Economy and Finance
The Italian Minister of Economy and Finance ( it, Ministro dell'Economia e delle Finanze) is a senior member of the Italian Cabinet who leads the Ministry of Economy and Finance since its creation in 2001 by the fusion of three former ministrie ...
*
Janet Henfrey
Janet Ethne Anne Henfrey (born 16 August 1935) is a British stage and television actress. She is best known for playing Mrs. Bale on '' As Time Goes By'', and for her role as the schoolteacher in the Dennis Potter television play '' Stand Up, N ...
as Lady Brannox, Sir John's mother
*
Tim Barlow
Michael John Leigh Barlow (born 18 January 1936), whose stage name is Tim Barlow or sometimes Timothy Barlow, is an English actor who has performed many small roles in a variety of films, television programmes and plays.
Barlow left the army ...
as Lord Brannox, Sir John's father
* Daria Baykalova as Amber, Bauer's girlfriend
* Alessandro Riceci as Fabiano, Esther's love interest
* Enea Barozzi as Attanasio, a young man with physical deformities
* Lore Stefanek as Attanasio's mother and a wealthy lawyer
* Alex Esola as Freddy Blakestone, a tennis player and Bernardo's lover
*
:it:Ignazio Oliva as Father Valente, one of the Pope's assistants
* Marcello Marziali as Don Mimmo, an old friend of Voiello's
* Giancarlo Fares as Franco, Girolamo's caregiver
*
Daniel Vivian as Domen, the pope's butler
* J. David Hinze as Leopold Essence
*
Yuliya Snigir
Yuliya Viktorovna Snigir (russian: link=no, Юлия Викторовна Снигирь; born 2 June 1983) is a Russian actress and model.
Life and career
Yuliya Snigir was born in Donskoy, Tula Oblast, Russian SFSR. She graduated from high s ...
as Ewa Novak, Helmer's wife
Flashbacks
* Charlie Potts and Joshua Smallwood as Adam Brannox, John's twin brother
* Callum Potts and Matthew Smallwood as young John Brannox
* Hella Stichlmair as young Lady Brannox, John's mother
* Jonas Crodack as young Lord Brannox, John's father
Guests
*
Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
as himself
*
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
as herself
* Mitchell Mullen as Emory Kitsworth, a journalist
* Houssem Benali as Ahmed, an acquaintance of Faisal's
* Alex Beviglia Zampetti as Don Antonio, a teacher at
Ventotene
Ventotene (; locally ; la, Pandataria or , from grc, Πανδατερία, Pandatería, or ) is one of the Pontine Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Gaeta right at the border between Lazio and Campania, Italy. The municipality ...
's elementary school
* Bruce McGuire as General Parker
Episodes
Production
''The New Pope'' production began in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
in late 2018. Filming took place inside
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
in
Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
in November 2018. Some scenes were shot in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
in January and February 2019. The production crew also filmed in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
in January and April 2019. Most of the filming took place at
Cinecittà
Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City Studios), is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios we ...
, in Rome. The crew returned to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
to film at the
St. Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the pope, papal enclave and exclave, enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighbor ...
in March 2019. Additional scenes were shot in
Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
and on the river
Piave. The opening sequence of the series with dancing nuns was filmed inside
San Giorgio Monastery
The San Giorgio Monastery (St. George Monastery) was a Benedictine monastery in Venice, Italy, located on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. It stands next to the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, which serves the monastic community. The old monas ...
in Venice.
Release
The series had its world premiere on 1 September 2019 at the
76th Venice International Film Festival
The 76th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 28 August to 7 September 2019. Film director Lucrecia Martel was appointed as the President of the Jury. '' The Truth'', directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, was selected to open the f ...
, where episodes 2 and 7 were screened out of competition. It debuted on television on 10 January 2020 on
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HBO ...
in Italy,
on 12 January on
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a British pay television channel owned by Sky Group Limited broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is primarily dedicated to imported programmes from the United States, and holds the domestic rights to HBO ...
in the UK and Ireland and on 13 January on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
and
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
.
Marketing
The official teaser for the series was released on 28 August 2019.
The second teaser trailer premiered on 3 November 2019. The official full trailer was released on 10 December 2019.
Critical reception
The series received positive response from critics. On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the series holds an approval rating of 90% based on 49 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though its predecessor's shadow looms large, devout fans will still find much to like in The New Pope's exploration of power dynamics and sumptuous strangeness." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
it has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 12 critics, signifying "generally favorable reviews."
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Pope, The
2020s Italian television miniseries
2020 Italian television series debuts
2020 Italian television series endings
Canal+ original programming
English-language television shows
Films about fictional popes
HBO original programming
Sky Atlantic (Italy) television programmes
Television shows set in Vatican City