Fabel Entertainment has secured the rights to adapt The Devil’s Business, Emanuele Midolo’s upcoming book about Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, with Tom Fontana on board as creator and showrunner.
The period drama tells the story of the American clergyman known as “the Pope’s bodyguard.” Fabel is leading development and will produce alongside Italy-based Picomedia, a Fremantle company. The book is due out by Century in June 2028.
The series will be set against the Vatican’s financial and political dealings in the 1980s. “I’ve wanted to tell this story for decades,” Fontana said. “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.”
Henrik Bastin, CEO of Fabel Entertainment, added, “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.”
Roberto Sessa, founder and CEO of Picomedia, added, “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 said, “I’m beyond thrilled that Fabel Entertainment is going to bring The Devil’s Business to the screen. As a longstanding Oz fan since I was about 10, I’m also over the moon that Tom Fontana will be the series’ showrunner. 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.”
Raffaella De Angelis, head of literary acquisitions, global drama, at Fremantle, spearheaded the acquisition for Fabel Entertainment.
