Kyle Chandler cast in Showtime's 'Vatican'

Kyle Chandler has picked his next project: Showtime’s pilot The Vatican.

The Friday Night Lights and Zero Dark Thirty Emmy winner has been one of the most sought-after actors this TV pilot season. Chandler will play Cardinal Thomas Duffy, “the charismatic yet enigmatic Archbishop of New York, whose progressive leanings excite some and alarm others within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.”

Also joining the cast: Matthew Goode (A Single Man) as the Pope’s closest confidante and Sebastian Koch (A Good Day to Die Hard) as a cardinal who is informally known as the “dark prince of the Curia” for his proven abilities to ruthlessly wield power within the Church hierarchy.

The Vatican has sparked some early controversy for seeking to provocatively dramatize the Catholic Church. The official description: The Vatican will “explore the relationships and rivalries as well as the mysteries and miracles behind one of the world’s most hidden institutions …. provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics – set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic Church.”

The script is from Paul Attanasio (House M.D.) with cinema legend Ridley Scott directing the pilot.