Diane Keaton, Jude Law star in religious papal drama

The cable network announced that the Oscar-winning actress is joining the cast of the drama as Sister Mary, an American nun living in the Vatican City.

The fictional series, about an American pope, comes from Paolo Sorrentino.

“The Young Pope” will be the first brand-new show to be co-produced by Sky with HBO after the long-standing deal between the two for Sky to have the exclusive rights to broadcast HBO programmes in the UK.

The role brings Keaton back to HBO, where she produced the network’s 2003 Gus Van Sant film Elephant, which won the Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Belardo is described as a complex and conflicted character who will face losing those closest to him and the fear of being abandoned by everyone including his God. However, he is not afraid of undertaking the millennial mission of defending that same God and the world representing him.

Reported by Sorrentino, who last brought us The Great Beauty and has the Michael Caine-starring Youth on the way, the series will explore faith and religion in a fresh way, including, in his words, “the clear signs of God’s existence”. “The greatness of holiness, so great as to be unbearable when you are fighting temptations and when all you can do is to yield to them. Finally, how to handle and manipulate power in a state whose dogma and moral imperative is the renunciation of power and selfless love towards one’s neighbor”. The Young Pope marks a rare television role for the Academy Award victor, who has had a very active career on the feature side. The executive producers include Lorenzo Mieli & Mario Gianani and John Lyons for Wildside; and Caroline Benjo, Carole Scotta and Simon Arnal for Haut et Court TV.