A new film will see Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo take the lead in a thriller tracing the journey of Pope John Paul II towards sainthood. According to the announcement, the project “traces the path to sainthood of Polish Pope John Paul II”. 

The production is described as “a thriller chronicling the path to sainthood of Polish Pope John Paul II” and marks an international co-production involving Polish, Italian and French studios. 

Ruffalo is set to play Father Joseph Murolo, an American priest tasked with serving as the “devil’s advocate” in evaluating the late pontiff’s life and sanctification, who will challenge the Pope’s biography in question for his sainthood. As the synopsis puts it, “as he interviews a range of witnesses from devoted colleagues to secret confidantes, Murolo is drawn ever deeper into a moral labyrinth”. 

Filming is scheduled to begin in March 2026 in Poland and Italy (subject to final confirmation), under the direction of Bertrand Bonello. The film’s title, Santo Subito!, “echoes the chants of pilgrims urging the pope’s canonisation following his death in April 2005.” 

This cinematic undertaking places one of Poland’s most-celebrated figures at the centre of a global narrative, inviting audiences beyond the Catholic world to engage with John Paul II’s legacy through the lens of dramatic storytelling.

Photo: X/@PolscyArtysci1

Tomasz Modrzejewski