The Pope of Greenwich Village miniseries in development

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Deadline has reported that an eight-part miniseries based on the 1984 film The Pope of Greenwich Village is in development, with original producers Hawk Koch and Gene Kirkwood teaming up with Nick Vallelonga (Green Book), George Gallo (Midnight Run), and Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale).

The Pope of Greenwich Village centered around two cousins, played by Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts, who unknowingly rob the mob and face dangerous consequences. The film, as well as the upcoming miniseries, was based on Vincent Patrick's best-selling novel of the same name. It also turns out that Nick Vallelonga has a personal connection to The Pope of Greenwich Village, as both he and his father appeared in the film.

My father, Tony Lip, who Green Book was about, played the role of Frankie Shy in the opening scene of the original film, and I was an extra in the stickball scene, so to have this opportunity to be working with George and Chazz on the retelling of Vincent Patrick’s amazing story, is really coming full circle and quite an honor for me.

George Gallo added, "Vincent Patrick’s The Pope of Greenwich Village isn’t just a great story, (which it most certainly is) it’s a portrait of New York City in the 1970s/80’s. A city teeming with life. The clubs. The restaurants. The back alleys. And the Wise Guys who still wielded a great deal of influence and power. It’s a nod to a time and place and a city that’s gone and never coming back. And our two main characters, Charlie and Paulie will travel through every element of that vibrant time. For Chazz, Nick and I, it’s especially exciting because we were all there in our youth and we can all tell the story through the eyes of people who actually lived it." I'll confess to not even having heard of The Pope of Greenwich Village before, but based on Vallelonga and Gallo's enthusiasm for the story, I should definitely make an effort to check it out.