The Young Popelives! Last May,we learnedthat HBO-Sky was looking to extend the life ofPaolo Sorrentino’s limited series with a follow-up season titledThe New Pope. The first season—which was written and directed by Sorrentino—followedJude Lawas the first American Pope, and now Law is returning forThe New PopealongsideJohn Malkovich, although details on their roles are being kept under wraps at the moment.
Indeed, the final moments ofThe Young Popeleft the fate of Law’s character up in the air, and Deadline suggests that whileThe New Popeis a new series, it’s expected to retain some elements ofThe Young Pope. Sorrentino wroteThe New Popealongside collaboratorsUmberto ContarelloandStefano Bises, and filming is due to begin in Italy this November—which is pretty much the exact timetable that was given last May whenThe Young PopeSeason 2 was announced.
It’ll be interesting to see ifThe New Popeis more of an anthology, a spinoff, or a continuation. Either way, Sorrentino’s visually sumptuous take onThe Young Popewas mighty exciting, and adding Malkovich to the mix makes this an absolute must-see. The actor recently had a recurring role onBillionsSeason 3 and may or may not be returning for the fourth season of that Showtime series, butThe New Popewill no doubt be a hefty commitment for the performer.
No word on how many episodes we can expect forThe New Popeor when it’ll debut, but this is an encouraging update on a project that could easily have fallen by the wayside.
