A recent article from Collider has claimed Ridley Scott will be taking on television in directing the pilot for The Vatican, a new series set to air on Showtime.
While Ridley Scott has already picked up the Cormac McCarthy written screenplay for The Counselor — casting the likes of Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Michael Fassbender along the way — the seasoned director will first try his hand at television before moving ahead with another feature film.
Luckily, he won’t be alone. Paul Attanasio, writer of the hit TV show House and Oscar nominated Donnie Brasco, is reportedly the brains behind The Vatican. The show is described as “a provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics — set against the modern day political machinations within the Catholic church. The series will explore the relationships and rivalries as well as the mysteries and miracles behind one the world’s most hidden institutions.”
For those of you who haven’t seen Pulp Fiction, a pilot is only a single test episode to see if audiences will actually enjoy a full series of the same show. It’s not really common for them to receive such press attention. Especially when the center of such a show is church based.
But then again, it’s not common for a high profile director like Ridley Scott to consider directing a pilot. He may see something in it that may amount to be the next Sopranos or Walking Dead. Scott’s name may even attract some other big names to the show. Also, with such a writer as Paul Attanasio, The Vatican may have much more to offer than lavish robes and political scandal. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as more information emerges.
