The actor who plays the High Sparrow on 'Game of Thrones' will play Pope Francis for Netflix

HBO

EXCLUSIVE: Add Pope Francis to Netflix’s continually growing TV and movie roster names. The streaming service is moving forward with the feature film The Pope, with Jonathan Pryce tapped to play the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and Anthony Hopkins in talks to play his predecessor Pope Benedict. The film will be directed by City of God helmer Fernando Meirelles, has a script by Anthony McCarten, who wrote The Theory of Everything about Stephen Hawking and the upcoming Darkest Hour with Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill.  Dan Lin is producing with Jonathan Eirich, and Tracey Seaward.

The film tells the story of Pope Benedict’s election, and his subsequent resignation from the papacy. That opened the door for Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentinian who became the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas and the first Pope from outside Europe since the 8th Century. The drama conveys his reluctance to take the top post in 2013. His humility and devotion to the poor has made him a galvanizing force for tolerance and change.

NOW WATCH: NASA released rare footage of the SR-71 — the fastest plane to ever exist