German actress Johanna Wokalek poses during a presentation of the European 'Shooting Stars 2006' award winners in Berlin February 13, 2006.
Posted on 05/16/2008 10:00:41 AM PDT by NYer
The armies of female ordination have just taken over Hollywood and are now set to march onto the Vatican. Coming soon to a movie theater near you is a "historical drama" about "Pope Joan." Shooting is set to begin in August, for a planned 2009 release, says Yahoo.
You've heard of Pope Joan, right? Pope Joan is the name of a female pope (also La Papessa) who supposedly reigned for less than three years in the 850s, based on a legend that circulated in the Middle Ages. Pope Joan is regarded by most modern historians and religious scholars as fictitious, possibly originating as an anti-papal satire.
But Hollywood is taking it seriously and making it into a movie, based on the Donna Cross book, which has all the accuracy of a Dan Brown novel.
Thankfully, the movie is running into all sorts of trouble. German actress Johanna Wokalek ("Barefoot") is rumored to be replacing Franke Potente as the 9th-century female pontiff in "Pope Joan."
Directors were changed. Production was called off after John Goodman, who had been cast to play Pope Sergius, pulled out. Lawsuits ensued.
The synopsis of the book says:
"The novel is based on the life of one of the most fascinating, extraordinary women in Western history--Pope Joan, a controversial figure of historical record who, disguised as a man, rose to rule Christianity in the 9th century as the first and only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter.Never mind that nearly everyone says she's completely made up.
Hollyweird continues to rear its ugly head.
I can see a list in my head of anti-Catholic Freepers who are just squirming with excitement at the thought of this one.
The first mention of such a notion is around 1300 - 450 years after this supposedly took place.
Hollyweird exercising its proclivity for anti-Christian, probably pre-lesbian, almost certainly anti-historical and written to be as ‘shocking’ as possible. I will be greatly suprised if the shock does not end up for the fools who finance this when it fails.
I can see a list in my head of anti-Catholic Freepers who are just squirming with excitement at the thought of this one.
No, not really. I see it as more Hollyweird silliness, with about as much theological significance as an Ah-nold Swartzeneggar film about the rise of Antichrist. Most of them are just tone deaf about Christianity.
There’s already been a POPE JOAN movie, released in 1972 starring Liv Ullman. So this would be a remake.
The lady was a pope
Jeopardy Question Last Night: "Who is Pope Joan?"
Pope Joan (Diane Sawyer looks at FEMALE POPE)
ABC-TV DISCOVERS “POPE JOAN”
ABC's Bogus "Pope Joan" Story Also Hocked Debunked "Rule of Thumb" Myth
The Fable of “Pope Joan” [Debunks Diane Sawyer on ABC]
No, not really.
Are you saying I cannot see such a list?
Guilty.
So when is this one getting released? Good Friday? Christmas Eve? All Saints Day?
They should just call this movie “Loser” for all the money it will cost.
Sheesh..
There's a difference between an historical drama and a documentary.
The book or film doesn't have to be "accurate" - it's fiction, after all - only good. Which is the real problem with Dan Brown's book.
Good Lord they could only attach John Goodman to play the pope? I don’t think we have anything to worry about.
Lol ... we should set up a lottery and let freepers select the 'feast' day on which this movie will be released.
not guilty
Personally, I think you could expand the latter to Christian and it would be equally valid. The last explicitly favorable television out of Hollywood was "Touched by an Angel" that ended in '03. I think that there may have been something since, but I am not certain.
It would be an interesting study to find out how many nominal and practicing Christians there are in Hollywood and what their population percentage is within the industry. I think that I would not be suprised if they were a weak minority.
What’s with all the Hollyweird talk? This is a German/British film.
ahhh, Pope Joan.
I’ll pay to see that.
I haven't known you to be anti-Catholic.
I'm as opposed to certain doctrines taught by the Church of Rome as more vocal others on Free Republic are. Far, far too many deal killers for me to jump the Tiber.
I do not define myself as "anti Catholic". You'd have to add a whole bunch of other "anti"s to that list. Anti-Buddhist, anti-JW, anti-Mormon, anti-Muslim, anti-Jedi, et interminable cetera.
I just think the Pope Joan movie is likely to be silliness on par with the DaVinci Code. And enough to poison the mind and faith of many people who will never read any history, and think this fact.
Are you saying I cannot see such a list?
No, you can't. It's a secret. Nyeh nyeh. :-).
I'd pay just to stand outside the theatre - that's where the real entertainment will be.
More garbage from hollyweird. It will be a financial disaster...although anti-Catholic bigots will crowd the back rows of the movie theaters to give themselves a thrill ala Beavis and Butthead. I am sure some of them on this forum are marking their calendars and drooling uncontrollably as we speak.
Oy vey. Homely as a hedge fence.
I was thinking “mud fence.” Maybe it’s a Southwestern idiom.
*****************
I've never heard that one. Could be.
As long as they are making movies about “true stories that never happened”, they may as well make on on The Children’s Crusade.
When I was at the Archdiocese of Boston the Secretary for Institutional Advancement tried to convince an intern that their was a real Pope Joan....I complain to Tricky Dick Lennon (now Bishop of Cleveland) and was ignored.
That fellow has since left the Archdiocese and is with the Diocese of Springfield Mass.
If you are going to do a conspiracy flick, do it right! Umberto Eco did the mother of all conspiracy books, and Dan Brown did a poor rip off that was not even internally consistent. I suspect this will be likewise.
Elements of that did happen. There are comtempary accounts of the Children’s Crusade, as well as what happened to them.
Pick up your standard and lead us on! We'll follow.
History House: The Children\'s Crusade
Most of what people have learned about the Children's Crusade is made-up BS.
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