John Malkovich will take on the role of an “irresponsible, indolent, pompous and conceited” pontiff in the follow up to The Young Pope.
The 65 – year-old actor plays Sir John Brannox, an English aristocrat chosen to replace Pius XIII – played by Jude Law – as the leader of the Catholic Church.
The New Pope picks up where The Young Pope finished, with Pius XIII in a coma.
A co-production between Sky Atlantic, HBO and Canal , it’s directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino.
In a new teaser trailer, Malkovich tell an adviser: “Everyone in the world should know who the Pope is. It’s not vanity, it’s necessity. “
He’s described as “a magnificent person” but “more volatile” than his predecessor, who we see lying apparently unconscious in a hospital bed.
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Asking whether the old pope could wake up, Malkovich concludes: “It doesn’t matter. I am the Pope.”
The trailer ends with a close up shot of Law’s little finger moving, before pulling off his breathing mask and smiling directly at the camera.
Actress Sharon Stone and singer Marilyn Manson will also appear in the show.
The New Pope starts in January 2020 on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.
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