‘Young Pope’ Out, A ‘New Pope’ In At HBO

HBO’s Paolo Sorrentino-directed limited series ‘The Young Pope’ will serve as a stand-alone entry. ‘The New Pope’ will follow up around 2019.

Looks like HBO knew exactly what they were doing when submitting The Young Pope as a limited series. HBO and Sky will join forces again on a follow-up series The New Pope, again directed by Paolo Sorrentino. The Young Pope aired in the U.S. on HBO last winter to critical praise, particularly for Jude Law’s hypnotic central performance.

The New Pope will not be a direct sequel to The Young Pope. HBO and Sky did not release details of the new series. Sorrentino and Young Pope co-writer Umberto Contarello will write the follow-up. Filming will begin in late 2018 for a presumable 2019 release.

No word on whether or not Jude Law will reprise his role as Pope Pius XIII (Lenny Belardo). The Young Pope ***SPOILER ALERT*** concluded with Pope Pius collapsing during an uncharacteristically positive sermon. His ultimate fate remains unknown. As with most modern limited series, some cast members will return, and The New Pope will reference its predecessor.

The Young Pope will most likely receive a Limited Series Actor Emmy nomination this year. The series itself is a harder sell given its experimental nature and intense competition.