AMBI Pictures has announced that the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Francis, has signed on to make his acting debut (and the debut for any Pope in the history of the Church) in the family feature film Beyond the Sun.
Pope Francis will portray himself in the inspirational story , which will see children from different cultures emulating the apostles while searching for Jesus in the world around them. The film will be uplifting and is intended to spiritually engage and encourage audiences of all ages to transmit Jesus words, to understand them and integrate them to live a better life, make good choices and help others.
“Our excitement and gratitude toward His Holiness, Pope Francis participating in this film is beyond words,” states producer Andrea Iervolino. “This is not just a movie for us, it’s a message, and who better to have on your side to deliver an important societal and spiritual message than the Pope.” Iervolino added, “This movie will provide funds to support extremely worthwhile causes that we take very seriously. This message and cause are very dear to the entire AMBI family and we are honored and inspired by the level of collaboration from the Vatican.”
Principal photography on Beyond the Sun is slated to get underway in Italy early this year.
UPDATE: It turns out Pope Francis is not going to act in the film after all, with Vatican communication chief Monsignor Dario Vigano denying the report, but saying the movie may have access to archive footage.
Originally published February 1, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
