It's fair to say that Paolo Sorrentino cooked up one of the TV events of last year by plonking a mitre onto Jude Law's bonce and putting him in The Young Pope, a controversial tale of a (relatively) fresh-faced pontiff with a dodgy past and some radical ideas. Sounds like Law and co. will only be getting the one "limited" series, as Sorrentino is already at work on The New Pope.
The Oscar-winning writer/director is once again collaborating with co-writer Umberto Contrarello on the new series, which they once again have said is another limited run – so don't expect much beyond the initial batch of episodes. Sky and HBO will again be airing the show, which is produced by FreemantleMedia International.
As for Law, he may pop up to hand over the big hat, but we wouldn't bet on it, as Sorrentino appears clear that this is not a continuation of The Young Pope. Casting for the new Pope is set to kick off soon, and shooting is scheduled for later next year in Italy, so this probably won't hit screens until 2019. Could it be followed by The Other Pope, The New New Pope, Pope Culture and then a team-up TV series where the various pontiffs fight a greater enemy?