Diane Keaton to star with Jude Law in Vatican-set HBO drama ‘The Young Pope’

Annie Hall is headed for the Vatican.

On Tuesday, HBO announced that Diane Keaton will star as Sister Mary, an American nun, in the eight-part drama series, “The Young Pope.” She joins previously announced lead Jude Law, who will play the fictional title character, Pius XIII, a youthful but conservative pontiff consumed by the “constant fear of being abandoned, even by his God.”

All eight episodes of the series will be directed by Paolo Sorrentino, who helmed the Oscar-winning Italian film “The Great Beauty.”

The nature of the relationship between Law and Keaton’s character remains to be seen, but in a statement Tuesday, Sorrentino said “The Young Pope” will explore “the inner struggle between the huge responsibility of the Head of the Catholic Church and the miseries of the simple man that fate (or the Holy Spirit) chose as Pontiff” and “how to handle and manipulate power in a state whose dogma and moral imperative is the renunciation of power and selfless love towards one’s neighbour.”

“The Young Pope” marks the first regular series role for Keaton, an Academy Award winner in 1977 for her performance in Woody Allen’s romantic comedy, “Annie Hall.” Her acting credits also include “The Godfather,” “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” “Baby Boom” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

Production on the series, which will primarily film in Rome and is a co-production with Canal + and Sky, begins this week.

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