Before becoming Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla was very much both an intellectual and, for a significant part of his life, an ordinary citizen. His philosophical writings was appreciated by others. His personal life from priesthood onwards is probed in Bertrand Bonello‘s Santo Subito! which began lensing last week and we now learn the identity of a web of players in what is a proposed Vatican thriller. Variety reports that Charlotte Rampling, Andrzej Chyra, Cezary Żak, Marisa Borini, Adam Bessa and Anton Lesser are all playing real figures in what we confidently predict will land in a Palme d’Or or Golden Lion competition slot next year. Production will last ten weeks in Rome and in Poland. As we already know, this has Mark Ruffalo toplining as an American-born priest assigned as the “devil’s advocate” investigating Pope John Paul II’s path to sainthood, who becomes entangled in a moral labyrinth that tests his faith. Here are the deets:
Charlotte Rampling will play Polish-born American philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, who had a long intellectual friendship with the Polish pontiff with whom she exchanged intimate letters. Andrzej Chyra is cast as Pope John Paul II; Cezary Żak as Stanisław Dziwisz, the pontiff’s personal secretary and close collaborator; Marisa Borini as Sofia Murolo, who is Joseph’s mother; Adam Bessa as Ali Agça, who attempted to assassinate the Pop; and Anton Lesser as Father Mattew, who is Joseph’s friend.
