Pilot Scoop: Kyle Chandler Tees Up TV Return as Star of Showtime's The Vatican
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose with Kyle Chandler as your headliner.
That’s no doubt the feeling among Showtime execs, who just lured the Friday Night Lights superstar back to the small screen with a starring role in the drama pilot The Vatican.
The project, directed by Ridley Scott and penned by Paul Attanasio (House), promises a provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics – set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic church.
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Chandler will play Cardinal Thomas Duffy, the charismatic yet enigmatic Archbishop of New York whose progressive leanings excite some and alarm others within the hierarchy of the Church.
Additionally, Matthew Goode (A Single Man) and Sebastian Koch (A Good Day to Die Hard) have joined the cast as Papal Secretary Bernd Koch and Cardinal Marco Malerba, respectively.
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Since FNL ended two years ago, Chandler — easily pilot season’s biggest male get — has resisted a return to the small screen, opting instead to take meaty supporting roles in film such as Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and Super 8.
“Kyle Chandler is one of the most talented and sought-after actors working today,“ said Showtime president David Nevins, who served as an EP on FNL. “With Kyle, Matthew Goode and Sebastian Koch, Ridley and Paul have put together a powerhouse cast to anchor this incredibly timely show.”
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