Netflix has revealed the first trailer forThe Two Popes. This comes from acclaimed director Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener,City of God), as well as three-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hour,The Theory of Everything). The two have partnered with a couple of A-list stars in the form of Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce to tell the story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis.
The trailer, as anyone might expect, focuses heavily on the dynamic between the two stars.Anthony Hopkinsand Jonathan Pryce have tremendous chemistry as they feel out the differences that exist between them. They amusingly discuss The Beatles, while also tackling heavier subjects, like the future of the Catholic Church. Regardless of one’s personal religious beliefs, it’s hard to deny the compelling nature of the stakes at play here, and the two performances at the center of that conflict. This looks stylish and like a surefire Oscar contender.
Netflixhas truly ramped things up in their awards contention efforts in recent years. Last year, they scored a Best Picture nomination, and near win, with Alfonso Cuaron’sRoma. This year, they’ve triple downed. Not only do they have this coming down the pipeline, but they’ve also got Martin Scorsese’sThe Irishmanand Noah Baumbach’sMarriage Story, amongst others. It’s not at all hard to imagine the streaming service walking away with a few major wins come time for theAcademy Awardsnext year with a lineup like that.
The Two Popescenters on Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce), who is frustrated with the direction of the church. He requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins). Instead, faced with scandal and his own doubts, Pope Benedict calls upon his harshest critic and future successor to Rome and reveals a secret that sent shockwaves through the very foundations of the Catholic Church. Behind the walls of the Vatican, a struggle unfolds between these two very different men, as they tend with tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness. They must both confront elements from their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for billions around the world.
