Oscar winner Diane Keaton has signed on to star opposite Jude Law on the upcoming miniseries The Young Pope, which is a co-production between HBO and Sky. The eight episode series will debut in 2016.
The Young Pope tells the controversial story of the beginning of Pius XII's (Law) Pontificate. Born Lenny Belardo, he is a complex and conflicted character, so conservative in his choices as to border on obscurantism, yet full of compassion towards the weak and poor. He is a man of great power who is stubbornly resistant to the Vatican courtiers, unconcerned with the implications to this authority.
During the series, Belardo will face losing those closest to him and the constant fear of being abandoned, even by his God. He is, however, not afraid of undertaking the millennial mission of defending that same God and the world representing Him.
During the series, Belardo will face losing those closest to him and the constant fear of being abandoned, even by his God. He is, however, not afraid of undertaking the millennial mission of defending that same God and the world representing Him.
Keaton will play Sister Mary, a nun from the United States now living in Vatican City.
The miniseries is the first-ever TV series from Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty). He will direct all eight episodes, and write them alongside Tony Grisoni, Umberto Contarello and Stefano Rulli.
Additional executive producers include Lorenzo Mieli, Mario Gianani, John Lyons, Caroline Benjo, Carole Scotta and Simon Arnal. Wildside and Haut et Court TV will produce.
Describing the series, Paolo Sorrentino said, "The clear signs of God's existence. The clear signs of God's absence. How faith can be searched for and lost. The greatness of holiness, so great as to be unbearable when you are fighting temptations and when all you can do is to yield to them. The inner struggle between the huge responsibility of the Head of the Catholic Church and the miseries or the simple man that fate (or the Holy Spirit) chose of Pontiff. Finally, how to handle and manipulate power in a state whose dogma and moral imperative is the renunciation of power and selfless love towards one's neighbor. That is what The Young Pope is about."
Describing the series, Paolo Sorrentino said, "The clear signs of God's existence. The clear signs of God's absence. How faith can be searched for and lost. The greatness of holiness, so great as to be unbearable when you are fighting temptations and when all you can do is to yield to them. The inner struggle between the huge responsibility of the Head of the Catholic Church and the miseries or the simple man that fate (or the Holy Spirit) chose of Pontiff. Finally, how to handle and manipulate power in a state whose dogma and moral imperative is the renunciation of power and selfless love towards one's neighbor. That is what The Young Pope is about."
