The Young Pope

The Young Pope

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	September 3, 2016 (2016-09-03)
Founder	Paolo Sorrentino
Area served	International
Key people	Paolo Sorrentino (creator), Jude Law (lead actor), Diane Keaton (lead actress)
Products	Television drama series
Parent	Wildside, Haut et Court TV, Mediapro

The Young Pope is a satirical drama series for television, conceived and helmed by Paolo Sorrentino for Sky Atlantic, HBO, and Canal+. Featuring Jude Law in the role of the unconventional Pope Pius XIII and Diane Keaton as Sister Mary, his trusted confidante, the narrative delves into the complex intrigues within the Vatican. The production was a collaboration among European companies Wildside, Haut et Court TV, and Mediapro.

The series had its initial screening on 3 September 2016 during the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, marking a historic first for a television series at the event. It subsequently premiered on television on 21 October 2016 via Sky Atlantic in Italy.

Initially presented as a limited series, especially in the United States, The Young Pope was succeeded by The New Pope, with Law reprising his role alongside John Malkovich. Filming commenced in Italy toward the end of 2018.

On 14 July 2017, The Young Pope received two nominations at the 69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, becoming the inaugural Italian television show nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Plot

Lenny Belardo, a young cardinal from New York City, unexpectedly ascends to the papacy after leading candidates in the papal conclave fail to secure election. As a compromise choice, he adopts the name Pius XIII and promptly begins to challenge longstanding Vatican customs. Early in his tenure, he declares that the general public shall not see the pope’s face, appearing instead cloaked in shadow on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica. He also asserts direct authority over the Secretariat of State.

Senior cardinals become alarmed by his sweeping reforms and conspire to exert influence over him. In retaliation, Pius XIII appoints Sister Mary—his guardian from an orphanage—as his principal advisor and openly criticizes several cardinals. He threatens to confiscate property from religious orders such as the Franciscans if they resist his rule. Additionally, he commands that Pope Paul VI’s papal tiara be removed from Washington, D.C., intending to repurpose it as his own crown.

The cardinals orchestrate a meeting between the pope and Italy’s prime minister; however, Pius XIII intimidates the official and threatens to invoke an outdated procedure to instruct Italian Catholics not to participate in elections. Rumors circulate that he aims to resurrect the Papal States, while it emerges that he struggles with deep depression linked to unresolved childhood abandonment trauma.

Main

• Jude Law portrays Pope Pius XIII (Lenny Belardo), newly elected pontiff and former archbishop of New York
• Diane Keaton plays Sister Mary, an American nun who raised Belardo and serves as his personal secretary
• Silvio Orlando appears as Cardinal Angelo Voiello, Camerlengo and Cardinal Secretary of State
• Javier Cámara is Monsignor (later Cardinal) Bernardo Gutierrez, Master of Ceremonies of the Holy See
• Scott Shepherd depicts Cardinal Andrew Dussolier, missionary and Archbishop of San Pedro Sula, Belardo’s childhood friend and fellow orphan
• Cécile de France acts as Sofia Dubois, head of marketing for the Holy See
• Ludivine Sagnier portrays Esther, spouse of a member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard
• Toni Bertorelli takes on Cardinal Caltanissetta, a powerful figure in Vatican politics
• James Cromwell plays Cardinal Michael Spencer, former archbishop of New York and mentor to Belardo
• Stefano Accorsi appears as Italy’s Prime Minister

Recurring

• Gianluca Guidi portrays Father Federico Amatucci, a trusted advisor to Cardinal Voiello
• Ignazio Oliva appears as Father Valente, serving as one of the Pope's aides
• Sebastian Roché takes on the role of Cardinal Michel Marivaux, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints
• Marcello Romolo plays Don Tommaso Viglietti, who later becomes a Cardinal and acts as the Pope’s confessor
• Vladimir Bibic embodies Cardinal Ozolins, head of the Vatican City Governorate
• Ramón García succeeds Ozolins in the role of Cardinal Aguirre
• Nadee Kammellaweera features as Sister Suree, a secretary working within the Vatican
• Maurizio Lombardi is cast as Cardinal Mario Assente, predecessor to Dussolier at the Congregation of the Clergy
• Daniel Vivian portrays Domen, who serves as the Pope’s personal butler
• Biagio Forestieri plays Peter, a member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard and spouse to Esther
• Giancarlo Fares acts as Franco, caretaker for Girolamo
• An unidentified actor represents Girolamo, Voiello’s disabled closest friend
• Carolina Carlsson appears as the Prime Minister of Greenland
• Camilla Diana depicts the Virgin Mary
• Franco Pinelli plays Tonino Pettola, a fraudster claiming visions of the Virgin Mary among sheep
• Madalina Bellariu is cast as Elena, an escort
• Tony Plana portrays Carlos García, a Honduran drug trafficker married to Maribeth
• Monica Cetti embodies Contessa Meraviglia, an aristocratic Italian noblewoman
• Rayna Tharani plays Maribeth, who is romantically involved with Cardinal Dussolier while married
• Alessia Giulia Trujillo Alva appears as Blessed Juana
• Andre Gregory takes on the role of Elmore Coen, a writer
• Guy Boyd portrays Archbishop Kurtwell, accused of child molestation
• Kevin Jackson plays Pete Washington, a possible witness in the Kurtwell investigation
• Jan Hoag is Rose, a hotel manager in New York
• Alex Esola features as Freddy Blakestone, an aspiring tennis player connected to the Kurtwell case

Flashbacks

• Allison Case appears as a young Sister Mary
• Frank Gingerich portrays young Lenny Belardo
• Olivia Macklin plays Lenny Belardo’s mother
• Jack McQuaid acts as young Andrew Dussolier
• Collin Smith is cast as Lenny Belardo’s father
• Ann Darlington Carr appears as the custodian’s wife who was healed through Belardo’s prayer
• Brian Keane portrays the Custodian

Guests

• Massimiliano Gallo plays Captain Becchi, an officer with the Carabinieri
• Emilio Dino Conti acts as an advisor to the Italian Prime Minister
• Marcos Franz appears as Ángelo Sanchez, a priest applicant who was rejected
• Milvia Marigliano portrays Sister Antonia, a missionary nun working in Africa
• Nicolas Coster features as an American journalist
• Todd Grinnell plays Archbishop Kurtwell’s assistant
• Troy Ruptash depicts David Tanistone, revealed to be Kurtwell’s secret son

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#FFAD48 |overall= 5 |title= 22 |director= 15 |writer= 32 |airdate= 14 |viewers= 12 |country=Italian |viewersR= |episodes=

Production

The Young Pope, Paolo Sorrentino’s debut television series, was produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani in partnership with French company Haut et Court TV and Spanish firm Mediapro. The production received funding from Sky, Canal+, and HBO, amounting to 40 million euros and partially supported by the European Regional Development Fund. The project development spanned three years between 2014 and 2016.

The screenplay was collaboratively written by Sorrentino along with Stefano Rulli, Tony Grisoni, and Umberto Contarello. The principal cast announced in mid-2015 includes Jude Law portraying the young pope; Diane Keaton as Sister Mary; with supporting roles filled by James Cromwell, Silvio Orlando, Scott Shepherd, Javier Cámara, and Toni Bertorelli. Additional actors such as Cécile de France and Ludivine Sagnier also joined. Sorrentino employed framing shots mostly from the waist upward to convey a sense of prominence in the main character—a technique he credits to Spike Lee.

Filming primarily took place over seven months starting August 2015 at Cinecittà studios where Vatican interiors were meticulously recreated. Outdoor scenes and gardens were captured at locations including Villa Lante (Bagnaia), Villa Medici, and Rome's Sapienza University Botanical Garden. Some interior sequences were shot inside Palazzo Venezia. The concluding episode featured footage filmed in Venice’s iconic Piazza San Marco.

Broadcast

The show made its debut on 21 October 2016 on Sky Atlantic in Italy, as well as on Sky Atlantic in Germany and Austria. It premiered on 27 October 2016 on Sky Atlantic for viewers in the UK and Ireland, followed by a European release on HBO Europe on 28 October 2016. North American audiences gained access starting 15 January 2017 via HBO and HBO Canada. The series launched in Australia through SBS Television on 29 April 2017. In India, it was broadcast on ZeeCafe.

Reception

The Young Pope garnered favorable critiques across the UK, Ireland, and Italy. Jude Law’s portrayal received extensive acclaim, particularly from Jasper Rees of The Daily Telegraph. Conversely, the Italian Catholic publication Famiglia Cristiana expressed disapproval, describing the characters as exaggerated stereotypes designed for an American viewership.

On the US review platform Metacritic, the series holds a score of 68, reflecting "generally favorable reviews." Meanwhile, Rotten Tomatoes reports an 80% approval rating based on 89 critic assessments. The general consensus highlights its inventive concept and sophisticated mix of melodrama and humor, despite moments where the storyline becomes unclear.

Certain Catholic commentators criticized the show for what they perceived as an anti-Catholic stance, pointing to its exaggerated depiction of the Church. Others raised wider issues regarding anti-Catholic sentiments in media. In contrast, some conservative critics and traditionalist Catholics commended its representation of religious tradition and sincere devotion.

Audience viewership

In Italy, the two-hour opening episode set a new record for Sky’s pay television ratings, drawing an overnight audience of 953,000 viewers. This surpassed the premiere figures for both Gomorrah and Italy’s initial airing of Game of Thrones.

Awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result
2017	69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie	Luca Bigazzi, Director of Photography	Template:Nom
		Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)	Ludovica Ferrario, Production Designer Alexandro Maria Santucci, Art Director Laura Casalini, Set Decorator	Template:Nom
2017	75th Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Jude Law	Template:Nom

Home media release

DVD release date			Blu-ray release date
Region 1	Region 2	Region 4	Region A	Region B
6 June 2017	26 December 2016	28 June 2017	6 June 2017	26 December 2016