Overview
- The special audience, called World of Cinema, is scheduled for Saturday at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.
- A Vatican statement says Pope Leo XIV wants to engage the film community to explore how cinema can promote human values.
- The Vatican named expected attendees including actors Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Adam Scott, Monica Bellucci, Viggo Mortensen, Alison Brie, and Dave Franco, with filmmakers Spike Lee, George Miller, Giuseppe Tornatore, and Gus Van Sant.
- Ahead of the gathering, the Vatican released a Letterboxd-style video of the pope’s favorites: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, and Life Is Beautiful.
- The initiative extends recent Vatican cultural outreach seen under Pope Francis with artists and more than 100 comedians in 2024, and Pope Leo—Chicago-born and the first American pope—recently met privately with Robert De Niro.