Vatican debates film claim, says Pope not actor

The Vatican is disputing a US film studio’s claim that the Pope is making his movie debut, saying no scenes were shot for the venture and that the Pope is not an actor. Los Ange-les-based AMBI Pictures headlined its press release: “Film Will Mark First Ever Big Screen Participation Role for the Leader of the Worldwide Catholic Church”.

Dario Vigano, the head of the Vatican’s communications operation, acknowledged that he could not exclude that the filmmakers got hold of some clips of the Pope.

But in comments broadcast on Vatican Radio on Wednesday, Mr Vigano disputed the press release claiming that Pope Francis would “play himself” in the film Beyond the Sun. He said: “The pope is not an actor.”

AMBI described the film as “a family adventure story where children from different cultures emulate the apostles while searching for Jesus in the world around them.”

AMBI Pictures has produced a handful of releases, including Barry Levinson’s The Humbling, with Al Pacino, and an upcoming John Steinbeck adaptation by James Franco. In November, it drew headlines when it said it would remake Christopher Nolan’s Memento.

The company said Beyond the Sun initiated with Pope Francis asking the filmmakers to make a movie for children that communicates Jesus’s message. The press release was accompanied by photos of the Pope with the filmmakers.