Pietro Valsecchi the Italian film maker, will create an English-Language television movie about Pope Francis’s life.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Valsecchi’s Taodue Film production company is known for backing Italian lowbrow comedy films Sun in Buckets (Sole a catinelle) and What a Beautiful Day (Che bella giornata) directed by Gennaro Nunziante and starring Zalone. The films are the two Italian films of all time based on domestic box office receipts both making €50 million ($68 million) and moving Roberto Benigni’s 1997 Oscar winner Life is Beautiful (La vita e’ bella) into third place.
Valsecchi said in an interview that he would like Antonio Banderas to play the lead in the project. Banderas, born in Spain and a native Spanish speaker, has not commented on the report.
Pope Francis, formerly Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was recently appointed Pope in March. His actions thus far as pope have sparked a worldwide phenomenon: he helped spark rises in church attendance, and his humble commentary on issues like capitalism to homosexuality earned him accolades. He was recently named Person of the Year by TIME Magazine.
No major films about Pope Francis have been made, though many are rumored to be in production including Ridley Scott’s The Vatican, starring Bruno Ganz as an unspecified pope.