“Oz” creator Tom Fontana is set to create and showrun a new Vatican drama series based on Emanuele Midolo’s forthcoming novel “The Devil’s Business” after Fabel Entertainment scored book rights.
“The Devil’s Business” — which is set to publish via Century in June 2028 — centers on Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, the American clergyman known as “The Pope’s Bodyguard.” Midolo is an award-winning investigations correspondent with The Sunday Times’ Insight team, whose reporting has led to political resignations in the U.K. and nominations for the U.K. Society of Editors’ Scoop of the Year and Investigation of the Year.
Set in the 1980s, the series will follow Marckinkus from his beginnings as Pope Paul VI’s unofficial bodyguard to his tenure at the helm of the Vatican’s finances. As is told in Midolo’s book, Marcinkus — who was known to say, “You can’t run the Church on Hail Marys” — “wielded immense power during an era of astonishing scandals involving embezzlement, money laundering, kidnapping, poison and alleged staged suicide,” according to a press release.
Fabel Entertainment is leading development and will produce alongside the Italy-based Picomedia, a Fremantle company.
“I’ve wanted to tell this story for decades,” said Fontana, who is also known for his work on “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Borgia.” “I love this world, and Emanuele’s book has given us a new window into Marcinkus. I’m grateful for the chance to finally bring to life a complex man who lives in the grey area between sinner and saint. His is a cautionary tale for our swiftly changing times.”
Added Henrik Bastin, CEO of Fabel Entertainment: “Ten pages into Manu’s book proposal, we knew we wanted to make this series. In a way it’s a very American story — rising from the top from humble beginnings — only this time, the setting is the Vatican and the man is doing the Pope’s dirty work. Tom Fontana was our first and last call. No showrunner knows the politics of Rome and the Vatican better, and we’re thrilled to have his unparalleled wit and fearlessness bringing it to life.”
For Midolo, working with Fontana is a dream come true “as a longstanding ‘Oz’ fan since I was about 10,” he said. “The archbishop at the heart of this true story, Paul Marcinkus, was a larger-than-life figure who makes the fictional cardinals of ‘Conclave’ look like innocent schoolboys. I can’t wait to see him in action.”
Roberto Sessa, Founder & CEO, Picomedia, said: “Marcinkus was an American, but his story takes us deep into a chapter of Italian history that still raises difficult questions. It’s a story with international reach and very Italian roots. We’re delighted to be working with Fabel and Tom to bring both to the screen.”
Midolo is represented by Eugenie Furniss at 42. Raffaella De Angelis, head of literary acquisitions, global drama at Fremantle spearheaded the literary acquisition for Fabel Entertainment. Fontana is represented by UTA and Fabel Entertainment is represented by CAA.