Legendary German Movie Actor Bruno Ganz to play the Pope in new Showtime "The Vatican"

[graham4anything]

http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/the-vatican-names-bruno-ganz-as-pope-francis-1-conclave/#comments

He played a fallen Angel in Wim Wenders’ Wings Of Desire and now Bruno Ganz will play the Pope in Showtime’s drama pilot The Vatican. The Swiss-born actor, who also played Adolf Hitler in 2004?s Downfall, will take on the Holy garments as the soft-spoken, fictional Sixtus VI in the pilot, from Paul Attanasio and Ridley Scott. Ganz takes on his Papal role just two days after the real new Pope Francis I was elected and joins Pushing Daisies‘ Anna Friel and Kyle Chandler in the thriller about spirituality, power and politics set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic Church. Chandler plays the progressive New York Cardinal Thomas Duffy, and Friel plays his very secular, hard-living younger sister. Matthew Goode as Papal Secretary Bernd Koch and Sebastian Koch as Cardinal Marco Malerba also star in the drama, which begins production in April. Sony Pictures TV is producing with Scott Free and Showtime

[graham4anything]

1. Bruno Ganz was the star of "Downfall"

In perhaps the best portrayal of "Hitler" and a role that sadly was not nominated for best actor.

about the last days of Hitler in the bunker with Eva and his top associates and their children.

It would be nice if he was given an Emmy for his role as the Pope.

Far too few English speaking roles.It would be nice if this also leads to more American films.

[CBHagman]

2. Bruno Ganz just seems to get better and better.

Very good news to hear about this particular bit of casting, and that Anna Friel is also in the production.

I would also say, very bluntly, that Kyle Chandler would be fine if they were casting Father What-a-Waste but not as a cardinal and definitely not as a progressive one. We all know that cardinals are more in the Ed Harris/Martin Sheen demographic, unless you're casting retired ones, and then you want Christopher Plummer and Max von Sydow. On top of that, the younger priests I run into nowadays are conservatives.