Is Pope Leo a cinephile? The pope reveals his all-time favorite movies
In church, it’s the holy trinity. But on the silver screen, it’s all about the big four for Pope Leo.
The Catholic bishop (real name: Robert Francis Prevost) dished on his all-time favorite movies during a video interview with Variety released Tuesday, Nov. 11.
First on the list for the Chicago-born pontiff was “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the 1946 Christmas classic starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.
Tapping his musical side, Pope Leo, 70, also gave a shout-out to “The Sound of Music,” the Oscar-winning family drama fronted by actress and Broadway legend Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Eleanor Parker.
It’s not all feel-good flicks for the pope though. “Ordinary People,” the 1980 psychological drama starring Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore, made the cut, too.
In perhaps a nod to his Italian heritage, “La Vita è Bella” (“Life is Beautiful”), the Italian-language period drama starring and directed by Roberto Benigni, rounded out Pope Leo’s favorite movies.
Pope Leo announces his first celebrity event at the Vatican
Pope Leo’s movie talk comes as the bishop is expected to host some of Hollywood’s finest at the Vatican later this week.
The pope is scheduled to meet with a slew of A-list actors and directors on Saturday as part of the Catholic Church’s ongoing Holy Year. Invitees include “Blue Jasmine” Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, “Severance” star Adam Scott, Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee, Chris Pine, “Mad Max” saga director George Miller and Alison Brie and Dave Franco.
It’s rare for the pope to host Hollywood celebrities. His predecessor, Pope Francis, hosted comedians including Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Rock in June 2024.
The pope “has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the world of cinema … exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values,” the Vatican said in a statement Monday.