The New Pope is a satirical drama television series created and directed by Paolo Sorrentino for Sky Atlantic, HBO and Canal+. It is a continuation of the 2016 series The Young Pope, originally announced as its second season. The nine-episode series stars Jude Law, reprising his role as the fictional Pope Pius XIII, and John Malkovich as the fictional Pope John Paul III, the titular new pope. It was co-produced by European production companies The Apartment Pictures, Wildside, Haut et Court TV and Mediapro.
The series premiered on 10 January 2020 on Sky Atlantic in Italy.
Contents
Plot
The New Pope opens with Pope Pius XIII still in a coma, revered as a living saint by a growing cult of followers. Amid concerns that this reverence could spark dangerous idolatry, Cardinal Secretary of State Voiello insists on a conclave to elect a new Pope, and schemes to elect a malleable, Franciscan-inspired candidate: Cardinal Viglietti, who becomes Pope Francis II. However, Francis II quickly asserts himself with sweeping, radical reforms—redistributing church wealth and welcoming refugees—which alarm the conservative cardinals. His sudden death, likely an assassination orchestrated by the scheming Bauer, leaves the church in turmoil. Meanwhile, the cardinals seek a safer, centrist replacement: Sir John Brannox, an aristocratic theologian famed for his work The Middle Way. As they court him at his English estate, Brannox’s psychological fragility and deep guilt over his twin brother’s death begin to emerge, yet he ultimately agrees to take the papacy as John Paul III.
As John Paul III assumes his role, he is quickly entangled in the Vatican's political games. His attempts to modernize the Church—including proposals for marriage equality within the clergy—are both applauded and manipulated by factions such as Cardinal Spalletta, who uses blackmail to ascend to power. Voiello, sensing danger, resigns after strategically consolidating his influence one last time. The undercurrents of corruption run deep: Sofia uncovers a sex scandal implicating her husband and other senior officials, and Esther descends into sex work to survive, even striking an unsettling arrangement with a wealthy family. Meanwhile, the Pope's inner world begins to unravel; haunted by his past drug addiction and plagiarized legacy, he teeters between visionary ideals and personal collapse. As terror threats loom and the Church's political maneuvering intensifies, Pius XIII's mythic presence lingers—soon to reemerge.
Pius XIII miraculously awakens, recovering in secret while John Paul III suffers a personal and spiritual breakdown triggered by a terror attack. Tensions rise as Esther's faction of idolaters splinters, some believing Pius to be dead. The Church faces increasing pressure from both internal blackmailers and external threats, leading to a brutal power reckoning. Voiello returns as Secretary of State, orchestrating the fall of corrupt allies and restoring order with ruthless efficiency. The climax centers on a school hostage crisis, initially blamed on Islamic extremists, but later revealed to be the work of Pius XIII's fanatical devotees—including Esther herself. After resolving the crisis and delivering a final sermon praising moderation, Pius XIII dies in front of the faithful. His legacy, forged in contradiction and holiness, gives way to Voiello's own papacy, as various characters find closure: Sister Caterina reunites with Faisal, Esther's child is adopted, and the retired John Paul III finally reconciles with his family. The series closes as faith, power, and humanity converge in bittersweet resolution.
Cast
Main
Jude Law as Pope Pius XIII (born Lenny Belardo), the comatose pope
John Malkovich as Pope John Paul III (formerly Sir John Brannox), the titular new pope
Silvio Orlando as Cardinal Angelo Voiello, Camerlengo and Cardinal Secretary of State, and the latest, unnamed pope by the end of the series / Cardinal Hernández, an opponent to Voiello during the conclave
Cécile de France as Sofia Dubois, in charge of marketing for the Holy See
Javier Cámara as Cardinal Bernardo Gutiérrez, the advisor of 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 (born Tommaso Viglietti), the first pope elected during Pius XIII's coma
Mark Ivanir as Bauer, the Ambassador of the United States to the Holy See
Henry Goodman as Danny, Sir John Brannox's butler
Massimo Ghini as Cardinal Spalletta, the Pope's personal secretary
Ulrich Thomsen as Dr Helmer Lindegard
Recurring
Ramón García (Ramón García Monteagudo) as Cardinal Aguirre
Antonio Petrocelli as Monsignor Luigi Cavallo, Cardinal Voiello's right-hand man
Kiruna Stamell as the Abbess of the Monastery of Saint Therese, the head of the cloister nuns
Nora Waldstätten as Sister Lisette, a cloister nun whose mother is ill
Jessica Piccolo Valerani as Sister Pamela, a nun nursing comatose Pope Pius XIII in Venice
Kika Georgiou as the Woman in Red, the head of a constant vigil over comatose Pope Pius XIII in Venice
Nadie Kammallaweera as Sister Suree, a nun serving the pope in the Vatican
Unknown actor as Girolamo Matera, Voiello's best friend who has a severe disability
Massimo Cagnina as Don Mario, a priest who hosts Esther at his church
Eco Andriolo Ranzi as Sister Caterina, a young cloister nun who commits fornication with a refugee
Agnieszka Jania as Sister Ivanka, a young cloister nun
Zaki Bibawi Ayyad as Faisal, a refugee hiding in the Vatican Gardens who later commits fornication with Sister Caterina
Tomas Arana as Tomas Altbruck, Sofia's husband
Claudio Bigagli as Duilio Guicciardini, the Italian Minister of Economy and Finance
Guests
Marilyn Manson as himself
Sharon Stone as herself
Mitchell Mullen as Emory Kitsworth, a journalist
Houssem Benali as Ahmed, an acquaintance of Faisal's
Alex Beviglia Zampetti as Don Antonio, a teacher at Ventotene's elementary school
Bruce McGuire as General Parker
Production
The New Pope production began in Italy in late 2018. Filming took place inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City in November 2018. Some scenes were shot in Milan in January and February 2019. The production crew also filmed in Venice in January and April 2019. Most of the filming took place at Cinecittà, in Rome. The crew returned to Rome to film at the St. Peter's Square in March 2019. Additional scenes were shot in Abruzzo and on the river Piave. The opening sequence of the series with dancing nuns was filmed inside San Giorgio Monastery in Venice.
Release
The series had its world premiere on 1 September 2019 at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, where episodes 2 and 7 were screened out of competition. It debuted on television on 10 January 2020 on Sky Atlantic in Italy, on 12 January on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Ireland and on 13 January on HBO and Canal+.
Marketing
The official teaser for the series was released on 28 August 2019. The second teaser trailer premiered on 3 November 2019. The official full trailer was released on 10 December 2019.
Critical reception
The series received positive response from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 90% based on 49 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though its predecessor's shadow looms large, devout fans will still find much to like in The New Pope's exploration of power dynamics and sumptuous strangeness." On Metacritic it has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 12 critics, signifying "generally favorable reviews".
