Annual Top Films Lists

Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2015: #93. Michael Winterbottom’s The Vatican Connection

Published on January 5, 2015

The Vatican Connection

Director: Michael Winterbottom // Writer: Paul Viragh

The incredibly prolific Michael Winterbottom had two 2014 titles, so we’re sure to see this latest project materialize before the end of the year, though major cast has not yet been announced since the news broke during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. While The Trip to Italy was a light piece of entertainment, Winterbottom’s other 2014 title, The Face of an Angel, which played Venice and Toronto wasn’t as well received, even though it was a compelling take on how we adapt true crime stories to film. This latest, The Vatican Connection, seems to be in that vein, based on the real-life story of the NYPD detective who first uncovered the Vatican Bank’s links to the Mafia in the 1970s.

Cast: TBA.

Producers: Ivanhoe Pictures’ John Penotti (Violet & Daisy), Muse Productions’ Chris Hanley (London Fields), Most Films’ Jeff Most (The Crow), Revolution Films’ Melissa Parmenter (The Face of an Angel), Bob DeBrino (Find Me Guilty).

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available.

Release Date: Considering a cast has to still be announced, we’re thinking this will be a year end title in 2015, though fest play in Venice or Toronto shouldn’t be ruled out.

Nicholas Bell

Los Angeles based Nicholas Bell is IONCINEMA.com's Chief Film Critic and covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. He is part of the critic groups on Rotten Tomatoes, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and GALECA. His top 3 for 2021: France (Bruno Dumont), Passing (Rebecca Hall) and Nightmare Alley (Guillermo Del Toro). He was a jury member at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival.