The 76th Venice Film Festival – Screening of the series “The New Pope” out of competition – Red Carpet Arrivals – Venice, Italy, September 1, 2019 – Director Paolo Sorrentino poses with cast members Jude Law, John Malkovich, Javier Camara, Cecile de France, Ludivine Sagnier, Yulia Snigir and others. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
September 1, 2019
VENICE, Italy (Reuters) – Jude Law brought the follow-up to “The Young Pope” to the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, presenting a glimpse of his return in the Paolo Sorrentino-directed papal drama, which at one point sees him wearing just “a napkin”.
The second series, called “The New Pope”, sees Law reprise the role of Lenny Belardo, who becomes Pius XIII, the first American pope in history.
After Law’s character falls into a coma, the sophisticated John Brannox, played by Hollywood actor John Malkovich, is elected to the papal throne, taking the name John Paul III.
Two episodes out of the series’ nine screened at the festival, which runs until Saturday. A teaser trailer shows Law strolling down a beach wearing white swimwear and surrounded by women. He is mirrored by Malkovich, who walks through the Vatican in full papal garb.
“You’ll be surprised to know that those swimming trunks actually weren’t the smallest costume I got to wear,” Law told a news conference on Sunday.
“There’s actually one scene where I was wearing a napkin. I have a photo of it because it was truly the smallest costume I was ever given.”
In the drama, miracles appear to take place and both popes have to learn to co-exist.
“The main inducement was to work with Paolo Sorrentino,” Malkovich said of joining the project.
“The Vatican or even religious things in general are probably not a primary field of interest for me, but I thought he made it very interesting in the first series in a way that was quite unexpected and something with a very unique vision.”
(Reporting by Helena Williams; Editing by Peter Cooney)
