Netflix has acquired a new feature film along with some star talent. Deadline has revealed that Jonathan Pryce has been cast as the current Pope Francis in the feature film The Pope. The film will be directed by City of God’s Fernando Meirelles from a script by Anthony McCarten, who will adapt the script from his stage play.
Pryce will star alongside Westworld’s Anthony Hopkins, who will play Pope Francis’ predecessor Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope will tell the story of Pope Benedict’s election and his resignation from the papacy nearly a decade later. This allowed Jorge Mario Bergoglio to become elected as the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas and the first Pope from outside Europe since the 8th Century. The film will show Pope Francis’ reluctance to take the position in 2013. Since becoming the Pope, his humility and devotion to the poor and other humanitarian causes has made him a strong force for tolerance and change, endearing him to millions across the world.
Pryce is known for many roles, most notably Brazil, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and recently Game of Thrones, where he played another religious leader. Filming for The Pope will begin in Argentina in November.
Originally published September 7, 2017. Updated April 17, 2018.
