Ridley Scott to Direct Vatican Pilot for Showtime

Ridley Scott has signed on to direct his first project for the small screen.

The three-time Oscar nominee will be behind the camera for The Vatican premiere, described by Showtime as "a provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics – set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic church."

According to a network press release, the series "will explore the relationships and rivalries as well as the mysteries and miracles behind one of the world’s most hidden institutions."

Only a pilot for the drama has been ordered at this stage, but it seems hard to believe The Vatican will not receive a full green light from the network.

This spring, meanwhile, Showtime will premiere two new shows:

• Masters of Sex, which stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star as William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality.
• Ray Donovan, whose title character is a "fixer" played by Liev Schreiber.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.