Confirmed: Bertrand Bonello to Direct ‘Santo Subito!’ Starring Mark Ruffalo — Shoots in March

For over a year now, French director Bertrand Bonello has been saying that he will soon begin shooting a new film.

Mark Ruffalo later hinted that he’d be working with Bonello “soon,” though he didn’t specify the project. Bonello currently has three screenplays in development, but his most likely next film is the one that already has backing from the Polish Film Institute.

Regardless, Variety has now confirmed that Ruffalo has been cast in “Santo Subito!” which will draw inspiration from the legacy of Pope John Paul II, particularly the passionate cries of “Santo Subito!” that echoed after his death in 2005, urging his immediate canonization.

Penned by Thomas Bidegain, the Oscar-nominated co-writer of “Emilia Perez,” “Santo Subito!” stars Ruffalo as Father Joseph Murolo, an American-born priest summoned by the Vatican to serve as the “devil’s advocate” in the investigation of Pope John Paul II’s life and potential path to sainthood. Set in the aftermath of the pontiff’s death on April 2, 2005, the film follows Murolo as he interviews confidantes and witnesses, navigating a moral labyrinth that ultimately puts his own faith to the test.

“Santo Subito!” will begin filming on March 9 on location in Italy and Poland. This crosses off any chance at it premiering at Cannes. Venice could be a possibility, but my bet is that Bonello waits it out for 2027.

Although his last release, “The Beast,” is up there with his best works, I don’t believe Bonello’s made a better film than 2017’s “Nocturama,” a terrorist thriller that felt like a brilliant hybrid of Bresson’s “The Devil” and Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.” Ironically, despite their acclaim, both “The Beast” and “Nocturama” were rejected by Cannes.

Bonello’s other films include “House of Pleasures,” “Saint Laurent,” and “Zombi Child.” He uses a bold, sensual, and often provocative approach to storytelling, blending lush visuals with characters that almost always live on the fringes of society.