The New Pope

The New Pope

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2020 (2020)
Founder	Paolo Sorrentino
Area served	Europe
Products	Television drama series

The New Pope is a satirical drama series for television, conceived and helmed by Paolo Sorrentino for Sky Atlantic, HBO, and Canal+. Acting as a follow-up to the 2016 production The Young Pope, it was originally presented as a second season continuation. The nine-episode installment features Jude Law reprising his role as the fictional Pope Pius XIII, alongside John Malkovich portraying the new titular pontiff, Pope John Paul III.

This series is a joint European production involving The Apartment Pictures, Wildside, Haut et Court TV, and Mediapro. It debuted on 10 January 2020 on Sky Atlantic in Italy.

Plot

The New Pope opens with Pope Pius XIII trapped in a coma, venerated by an expanding cult following. Vatican Secretary Voiello, wary that declaring sainthood might encourage idolatry, orchestrates the conclave to elect Cardinal Viglietti as Pope Francis II. Viglietti swiftly enacts sweeping reforms—redistributing Church assets and embracing refugees—which unsettles conservative factions. His abrupt demise, presumed to be assassination, throws the Vatican into chaos. Subsequently, the cardinals appoint Sir John Brannox, an aristocratic theologian famed for his work The Middle Way, as John Paul III. Despite his emotional vulnerability and guilt over his twin brother’s death, Brannox accepts the papal office.

John Paul III immediately confronts Vatican political intrigues. His progressive initiatives—such as advocating marriage equality within the clergy—generate both backing and scheming from figures like Cardinal Spalletta, who wields blackmail to expand his influence. Voiello steps down after solidifying his power base. Corruption intensifies: Sofia exposes a sexual scandal among senior officials; Esther resorts to sex work to survive, entering a troubling arrangement with a wealthy family. The Pope wrestles with a history of drug abuse and plagiarism, vacillating between visionary aspirations and collapse. Amid escalating terror threats and political machinations, Pius XIII’s legendary aura persists.

Pius XIII secretly regains consciousness while John Paul III experiences a breakdown triggered by a terror attack. Doubts about Pius’s status fracture Esther’s faction of devotees. The Church endures internal extortion and external dangers, culminating in a fierce power conflict. Voiello returns as Secretary of State, mercilessly restoring control by dismantling corrupt networks. The climax centers on a school hostage situation initially blamed on Islamic extremists but ultimately revealed to be orchestrated by Pius XIII’s fanatic followers, including Esther. After resolving the crisis and delivering a final sermon emphasizing moderation, Pius XIII dies before his followers. His intricate legacy gives way to Voiello’s ascendancy as pope while characters reach closure: Sister Caterina reunites with Faisal, Esther’s child is adopted, and John Paul III reconciles with his family. The narrative concludes with themes of faith, authority, and humanity intertwined in a poignant resolution.

Main

• Jude Law as Pope Pius XIII (Lenny Belardo), the pope in coma
• John Malkovich as Pope John Paul III (Sir John Brannox), the newly elected pontiff
• Silvio Orlando portraying Cardinal Angelo Voiello, Camerlengo and Cardinal Secretary of State, who later becomes pope / Cardinal Hernández, Voiello's rival during the conclave
• Cécile de France as Sofia Dubois, head of marketing for the Holy See
• Javier Cámara playing Cardinal Bernardo Gutiérrez, advisor to the Holy See
• Ludivine Sagnier as Esther Aubry, former wife of a member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard
• Maurizio Lombardi as Cardinal Mario Assente
• Marcello Romolo as Pope Francis II (Tommaso Viglietti), first pope chosen during Pius XIII's coma
• Mark Ivanir in the role of Bauer, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
• Henry Goodman as Danny, butler to Sir John Brannox
• Massimo Ghini playing Cardinal Spalletta, personal secretary to the pope
• Ulrich Thomsen as Dr Helmer Lindegard

Recurring

• Ramón García portrays Cardinal Aguirre
• Antonio Petrocelli appears as Monsignor Luigi Cavallo, the trusted aide of Cardinal Voiello
• Kiruna Stamell plays the Abbess of the Monastery of Saint Therese, who leads the cloistered nuns
• Nora Waldstätten acts as Sister Lisette, a cloister nun caring for her ailing mother
• Jessica Piccolo Valerani is Sister Pamela, a nun attending to the comatose Pope Pius XIII in Venice
• Kika Georgiou takes on the role of the Woman in Red, overseeing the vigil for the unconscious Pope Pius XIII
• Nadie Kammallaweera appears as Sister Suree, a nun serving within the Vatican
• An unidentified actor portrays Girolamo Matera, Voiello's disabled closest companion
• Massimo Cagnina plays Don Mario, a priest who provides shelter to Esther at his church
• Eco Andriolo Ranzi is Sister Caterina, a young cloister nun involved with a refugee
• Agnieszka Jania appears as Sister Ivanka, another young cloister nun
• Zaki Bibawi Ayyad portrays Faisal, a refugee hiding in the Vatican Gardens who later becomes involved with Sister Caterina
• Tomas Arana plays Tomas Altbruck, Sofia’s husband
• Claudio Bigagli appears as Duilio Guicciardini, Italy’s Minister of Economy and Finance
• Janet Henfrey and Tim Barlow portray Lady and Lord Brannox, parents of Sir John
• Daria Baykalova acts as Amber, Bauer’s girlfriend
• Alessandro Riceci is Fabiano, Esther’s romantic interest
• Enea Barozzi plays Attanasio, a young man with physical disabilities
• Lore Stefanek portrays Attanasio’s mother, a wealthy lawyer
• Alex Esola acts as Freddy Blakestone, a tennis player and Bernardo’s lover
• Ignazio Oliva appears as Father Valente, an assistant to the pope
• Marcello Marziali plays Don Mimmo, an old friend of Voiello
• Giancarlo Fares is Franco, caregiver to Girolamo
• Daniel Vivian portrays Domen, the pope’s butler
• J. David Hinze appears as Leopold Essence
• Yuliya Snigir acts as Ewa Novak, Helmer’s wife

Flashbacks

• Charlie Potts and Joshua Smallwood play Adam Brannox, John’s twin brother
• Callum Potts and Matthew Smallwood portray young John Brannox
• Hella Stichlmair and Jonas Crodack appear as young Lady and Lord Brannox

Guests

• Marilyn Manson and Sharon Stone appear as themselves
• Mitchell Mullen acts as journalist Emory Kitsworth
• Houssem Benali plays Ahmed, an acquaintance of Faisal
• Alex Beviglia Zampetti portrays Don Antonio, an elementary school teacher from Ventotene
• Bruce McGuire appears as General Parker

Production

Production for The New Pope commenced in Italy toward the end of 2018. Filming took place inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City during November 2018. Additional shoots occurred in Milan between January and February 2019 and in Venice during January and April 2019. The majority of scenes were filmed at Rome’s Cinecittà studios, with further filming at St. Peter's Square in March 2019. Other locations included Abruzzo, along the river Piave, while the opening sequence was captured inside Venice’s San Giorgio Monastery.

Release

The series had its premiere on 1 September 2019 at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, where episodes 2 and 7 were screened out of competition. It made its television debut on 10 January 2020 via Sky Atlantic in Italy. Subsequent releases followed on 12 January on Sky Atlantic in both the UK and Ireland, and on 13 January through HBO and Canal+.

Marketing

The initial teaser for the series debuted on 28 August 2019. A second teaser was unveiled on 3 November 2019, with the complete trailer released on 10 December 2019.

Critical reception

Critics responded favorably to the series. It holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 49 reviews, with consensus praising its examination of power relations and unique aesthetic. On Metacritic, the show has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 from 12 critics, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."