Lenny Belardo, aka Pius XIII, is revealed in the first two episodes – premiered at the Venice film festival – as shrewd, ironical, doubting and ruthless, a boy who grew up in an orphanage who revels in his new power. Starring Jude Law as the lead character, the series also stars Diane Keaton as Sister Mary.
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From a mysterious background, he takes the name Pope Pius XIII and wreaks havoc in the corrupt, complacent factions of the Vatican: smoking, demanding a Cherry Coke Zero for breakfast and completely outfoxing those, such as Cardinal Voiello (Silvio Orlando) who think they can manage him. “Once I started approaching it from that point of view and the history of this man and the relationships he has with all these people, it started to come together a lot more”.
‘It would be quite naive to believe that the Church has embarked on a long path towards liberalism’.
The Young Pope airs for the first time on Irish television on Sky Atlantic on October 27.
Diane Keaton (Sister Mary), Silvio Orlando (Cardinal Voiello), Scott Shepherd (Cardinal Dussolier), Cécile de France (Sofia), Javier Cámara (Cardinal Gutierrez), Ludivine Sagnier (Esther), Toni Bertorelli (Cardinal Caltanissetta) and James Cromwell (Cardinal Michael Spencer) are all central characters in what is a truly global cast and a truly worldwide production.
“It’s a Vatican problem, not mine”, he said during a press conference.
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“The pope we have created is diametrically opposed to the real one, because that could happen”. It is possible for a liberal pope to be followed by someone very different, ‘ Sorrentino said.
