Pope Leo XIV will meet with dozens of prominent Hollywood actors and filmmakers at the Vatican on Saturday, marking one of the most high-profile cultural gatherings of his papacy.
The Vatican announced that the Chicago-born pontiff, the first Pope from the United States, will host the group at the Apostolic Palace as part of the Catholic Church’s Holy Year celebrations, Variety reported.
Attendees are expected to include Cate Blanchett, Chris Pine, Viggo Mortensen, Alison Brie, Dave Franco and Monica Bellucci.
The event, organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, will also feature acclaimed directors Spike Lee, George Miller, Giuseppe Tornatore and Gus Van Sant.
According to a Vatican statement, the Pope “has expressed his desire to deepen dialogue with the World of Cinema … exploring the possibilities that artistic creativity offers to the mission of the Church and the promotion of human values.”
The event is part of Pope Leo’s wider effort to build connections with artists and cultural leaders.
In the days leading up to the event, the Vatican released a short video in which the pontiff shared his four favorite films: Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), Robert Wise’s “The Sound of Music” (1965), Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People” (1980), and Roberto Benigni’s “Life Is Beautiful” (1997).
The gathering follows a series of recent meetings between Pope Leo and major figures from the film industry.
Last week, the pontiff hosted actor Robert De Niro and his children at the Vatican.
De Niro was in Rome to accept the Lupa Capitolina, the city’s highest civic honor, and to attend the opening of his new Nobu Hotel Roma on Via Veneto.
In June, the Pope met with actor Al Pacino, marking the first recorded official audience between the first American Pope and a Hollywood star.
The meeting, according to producer Andrea Iervolino, was “a moment of profound spiritual and cultural inspiration centered around shared values that lie at the heart of both the Catholic Church and the film: family unity, love, compassion and the importance of contributing to the common good.”
“These values, which Pope Leo XIV has consistently emphasized in his recent messages to the world, resonate deeply with the story of the Maserati brothers: a family whose legacy was built not only on innovation and excellence but on profound mutual respect, solidarity and a shared vision,” Iervolino said, according to Variety.
The Vatican has held cultural events before but rarely one featuring so many leading figures from the film industry.
The late Pope Francis hosted a similar, though smaller, meeting with comedians in June 2024, which included Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon.
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