Canadian video poster for The Pope Must Die, renamed The Pope Must Diet!
Directed by
Peter Richardson
Written by
Peter Richardson Pete Richens
Produced by
Stephen Woolley Michael White
Starring
Robbie Coltrane
Beverly D'Angelo
Herbert Lom
Paul Bartel
Salvatore Cascio
Balthazar Getty
Alex Rocco
Cinematography
Frank Gell
Edited by
Katherine Wenning
Music by
Jeff Beck Anne Dudley
Production companies
Palace Pictures Channel 4 Films
Distributed by
Palace Pictures
Release date
31 August 1991 (1991-08-31)
Running time
97 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Budget
£2.5 million
Box office
£1,150,000 (UK)[1] $582,510 (US)[1]
The Pope Must Die (alternative known title as The Pope Must Diet! in the United States and Canada) is a 1991 British Catholic Church comedy film directed by Peter Richardson, who also wrote the screenplay with Pete Richens derived from elements of an earlier screenplay for a three-part mini-series satirising the Catholic Church, and which had been rejected by Channel 4. The film stars Robbie Coltrane as a low ranking priest who is mistakenly elected Pope, then has to avoid being assassinated by the Mafia. The film co-stars Adrian Edmondson, Annette Crosbie, Herbert Lom and Alex Rocco. The film was released by Palace Pictures with the backing of Channel 4 Films.
The film was originally planned as a part of a three-part mini-series for Channel 4, which was cancelled by the station after press outcry. This led Richardson to sever his long relationship with Channel 4 and move his future productions to the BBC. The budget for the film was later approved by Palace Pictures with the backing of Channel 4 Films.
The production was filmed in 1990 in Yugoslavia on a budget of £2.5 million.
The film's subject matter was controversial, which caused the distributors serious difficulties with its promotion, London Transport refusing to carry advertising for it until the film's posters were censored. In the United States the Big Three television networks refused to show commercials for the film, which they said was sacrilegious and offensive. Many newspapers in the US also censored or refused to carry advertising for the film.
^ abOlins, Rufus. "Mr Fixit of the British Screen." Sunday Times [London, England] 24 Sept. 1995: 9[S]. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
ThePopeMustDie (alternative known title as ThePopeMust Diet! in the United States and Canada) is a 1991 British Catholic Church comedy film directed...
won the award for Best Actress at the Evening Standard British Film Awards for the same role. Her other film appearances include ThePopeMustDie (1991)...
a cancer ward at a hospital in America; ThePopeMustDie (1991), a comedy film starring Robbie Coltrane the score of which was co-written with Jeff Beck;...
children's book Danny, the Champion of the World. He co-starred with Eric Idle in Nuns on the Run (1990) and played thePope in ThePopeMustDie (1991). He also...
Nuns on the Run (1990) The Commitments (1991) Life Is Sweet (1991) ThePopeMustDie (1991) Rosencrantz & Guildenstern (1991) Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991)...
The Omega Code (1999) The Omen (2006) The Pink Panther 2 (2009) ThePopeMustDie (1991) Roma (1972) Roman Holiday (1953) The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone...
Hunter Memed, My Hawk (1984) – Father ThePopeMustDie (1991) – Abbot Ernest Clark at IMDb Ernest Clark at the Internet Broadway Database "Ernest Clark...
Thepope (Latin: papa, from Ancient Greek: πάππας, romanized: páppas, lit. 'father') is the bishop of Rome, Patriarch of the West, and visible head of...
Legs), re-creating the songs of Gene Vincent. Several of their songs also appeared on the soundtrack of the film, ThePopeMustDie. They have performed...
the Red Death (1989) as Ludwig Ten Little Indians (1989) as General Romensky The Devil's Daughter (1991) as Moebius Kelly ThePopeMustDie (US: The Pope...
"Marc Rocco dies at 46; filmmaker directed 'Where the Day Takes You'". Los Angeles Times. Obituary for Sandra Rocco Archived June 5, 2011, at the Wayback...
Pope MustDie (1991 film) Pope Pius XX – 3001: The Final Odyssey (1997 novel) Pope Genevieve G. Rota – Lexx (1997 TV series) Pope Peter II – The Accidental...
(1990) as Weebee Cool Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) as Theatre Manager ThePopeMustDie (1991) as Monsignor Fitchie The Living End (1992) as Twister Master...
indication by thepope, and those close to him, that he was nearing death; it would have been in accordance with his wishes to die in the Vatican. Later...
Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936) is thePope and head of the Catholic...
there must be a second miracle, though the reigning pope may waive these requirements altogether, as is often done in the case of beatified popes. It was...
is very sad to hear that actor John Sessions has died. He was the voice of the current series "The Adventures of Captain Bobo" which he brought to life...
Interview with the Vampire (1994) The Crying Game (1992) ThePopeMustDie (1991) A Rage in Harlem (1991) The Miracle (1991) Crossing the Line (1990) Shag...
Canal+) A Pin for the Butterfly The Ploughman's Lunch (co-production with Goldcrest Films and Michael White) ThePopeMustDie (co production with Miramax...
Commercial work includes film soundtracks for the original Wicker Man, Howards End, ThePopeMustDie, Mickey Blue Eyes, Pirate Prince and many TV series...
Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known as "Pope emeritus" upon...
22 July 1988 with the opening of the comedy film The Couch Trip. It closed for twinning on 11 July 1991 with ThePopeMustDie. The Odeon West End re-opened...
mafia-controlled Vatican in the comedy film ThePopeMustDie (1991). The plot alludes to the Roberto Calvi scandal and thePope John Paul I conspiracy theories...
Global Information