Vatican City: Hulu lines up a new papal drama from Robert and Michelle King

Vatican City is making waves on Hulu, and the new drama, developed by Robert and Michelle King, has quickly gained attention across the industry! As soon as the news was announced, questions about the storyline, the people involved, and the reason for the collaboration immediately arose among viewers.

Vatican City is the revealing story of the world's smallest sovereign state in modern times, and its main themes are power, superstition, and media truth within one of the oldest institutions. With Hulu assembling the project and the Kings directing and producing, the series clearly presents itself as a realistic, character-driven institutional drama set in a complex and historic area.

The protagonist of the show is an American woman reporter, who is unexpectedly chosen to be the first-ever female spokesperson for the Vatican, a role that places her right at the crossroads of enduring traditions, modern practices, and socio-political divisions that have shaped the church over centuries.

Although the project has just begun development, the trio of Hulu, CBS, and Scott Free Productions is centered on a plot involving power, secrecy, and the slow but steady shift in the media's role in one of the world's oldest institutions.

A new direction for the Kings

Robert and Michelle King have always been associated with creating series that examine intricate institutions, and Vatican City follows a similar thematic approach. The King's past productions, like The Good Wife and Evil, have, in one way or another, touched on the tension between how things are seen publicly and how they actually are internally, and the individual trying to get through it all.

Early reviews indicate that Vatican City won't buck that trend, either, underscoring the drama's tension among the procedural, political, and human aspects. The fact that Scott Free Productions is also involved further enriches the production.

The association of executive producers through a company headed by Ridley Scott, David Zucker, and Clayton Krueger indicates that this partnership is an excellent combination of the two skills, for one is reputed for vast settings, while the other is into complex character-oriented dramas.

What we know about the premise

The main idea of Vatican City is one of the very few features that are completely confirmed. The story is about an American journalist who becomes part of the Vatican's administration and serves as its first female spokesperson. The role takes her to a place shaped by centuries-old rituals, a long line of male leaders, and constant global attention.

Such a scenario places Vatican City squarely into the realm of political drama, not into genres like fantasy, thriller, or comedy. For now, there’s no indication that the series will even consider depicting history in a non-historical manner, filling it with fictional popes or creating parallel timelines. The press consistently emphasizes that the tone aims to reflect institutional politics with a modern perspective.

Present production status

Furthermore, Vatican City has made little progress in development. Hulu is considering the project, and although the series is gradually moving forward internally, it has not yet gained public approval. There are still no casting announcements, and no production schedule, filming location, or premiere date has been set.

The situation also shows that the involvement of multiple studios, such as Hulu, Disney, Scott Free Productions, and CBS Studios, means that the projects must go through a lengthy development process before a specific production timeline can be determined.

The Kings have signed on as writers and executive producers, and rough sketches of the world, characters, and narrative arcs seem to be in place, yet no steps have been taken formally towards that. Vatican City will remain “in development” and not “in production” until Hulu gives the green light for a series.

Why the collaboration matters

Among the various topics covered by industry reports, the one that drew everyone's attention was CBS Studios' involvement in a Hulu project, which is quite uncommon. If Vatican City is officially ordered to become a series, it would represent CBS Studios’ significant collaboration with Hulu in the realm of original scripted drama.

Consequently, the project has not only gained attention for its unusual premise but also because it could signal changes in streaming service partnerships. The involvement of Scott Free Productions adds further significance, as the company has produced numerous historical, political, and institutional dramas.

And none of it is positioned as a marketing strategy; it is simply the structural relationships that are currently defining the project.

Themes and expected areas of focus

The details are still scarce, but the reports highlight that Vatican City will deliberately tackle such themes as follows:

communication and secrecy in institutions
historical structures: gender roles and representation
religious and political media dynamics
the power hierarchies within the church
the conflict between modernity and tradition

These topics relate to the idea of a spokesperson managing the organization’s relationship with the outside world. However, it does not mean that Vatican City plans to portray recent events from actual Vatican administrations; the story is character-driven and set within a fictional framework.

Many past Vatican-based dramas like The Young Pope and The Two Popes focus mainly on the priests, the Pope's decisions, and the politics of the conclave. The available information suggests that Vatican City will take a different path, highlighting an outsider and the communication system rather than papal succession or doctrinal debates.

Industry commentators mark this change as the very factor that makes the drama different. While the other plays show the institution from inside, Vatican City picks up the situation between the institution and the world audience through the person who is supposed to control its message.

So far, there is no information about the cast or the release, and the series is still awaiting official approval.