ABC, CBS plan John Paul II movies

Sat., Aug. 13, 2005

The Spokesman-Review

The battle of the network Pope John Paul II movies is back on.

ABC, whose project had taken a back seat to CBS’ planned four-hour miniseries, has announced the start of filming on its version of the late pontiff’s life.

“Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II” is shooting in Lithuania and will also film some scenes in Rome.

Thomas Kretschmann (“The Pianist,” USA’s “Frankenstein”) will star as the pope. The film also will feature Bruno Ganz (“Wings of Desire,” “The Manchurian Candidate”) as Cardinal Wyszynski, head of the Catholic Church in Poland, and Joaquim de Almeida (“24”) as Salvadoran Bishop Oscar Romero, who was murdered during John Paul II’s tenure.

It will chronicle Karol Wojtyla’s life as a student at an underground seminary in Nazi-occupied Poland, his rapid rise through the Catholic Church hierarchy and his more than quarter-century as pope, during which he helped lead the fight against communism in his home country.

ABC’s project and CBS’ “Pope John Paul II” – which stars Oscar winner Jon Voight as the pope in his later years and Cary Elwes (“Saw”) as the younger Wojtyla – will cover much of the same ground, so getting on the air first may be key.

Neither network has set an airdate yet, but both conceivably could be ready to go by the end of the year.

Zap2it.com

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.