The New Pope
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.
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, the comatose pope
- John Malkovich as Pope John Paul III, 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, 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 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
- Janet Henfrey as the Duchess of Brannox, Sir John's mother
- Tim Barlow as the Duke of Brannox, Sir John's father
- Daria Baykalova as Amber, Bauer's girlfriend
- Alessandro Riceci as Fabiano, Esther's love interest
- Enea Barozzi as Attanasio, a young man with physical deformities
- Lore Stefanek as Attanasio's mother and a wealthy lawyer
- Alex Esola as Freddy Blakestone, a tennis player and Bernardo's lover
- Ignazio Oliva as Father Valente, one of the Pope's assistants
- Marcello Marziali as Don Mimmo, an old friend of Voiello's
- Giancarlo Fares as Franco, Girolamo's caregiver
- Daniel Vivian as Domen, the pope's butler
- J. David Hinze as Leopold Essence
- Yuliya Snigir as Ewa Novak, Helmer's wife
Flashbacks
- Charlie Potts and Joshua Smallwood as Adam Brannox, John's twin brother
- Callum Potts and Matthew Smallwood as young John Brannox
- Hella Stichlmair as young Duchess of Brannox, John's mother
- Jonas Crodack as young Duke of Brannox, John's father
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
Episodes