Inside Al Pacino's Emotional Meeting with Pope Leo XIV (Exclusive)
"He was very excited and very happy to meet the Pope," producer Andrea Iervolino tells PEOPLE of their meeting with Pope Leo XIV, who was elected head of the Catholic Church in May
Iervolino and Pacino are working together on an upcoming movie about the Maserati vehicle company titled Maserati: The BrothersAl Pacino is fresh off a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with Pope Leo XIV.
The actor, 85, met with Pope Leo along with Italian film producer Andrea Iervolino at the Vatican on Monday, June 16. Pacino and Iervolino are currently working on an upcoming movie titled Maserati: The Brothers.
"It was a really exciting meeting for me, and I was very excited for Pacino as well," Iervolino tells PEOPLE. "We presented the Pope with a Maserati model because the film I'm shooting with Pacino is a tribute to the Pope. The Maserati film tells its story through history and speaks about the same messages he promotes daily: unity, family, peace and so on."
According to Iervolino, this is the first Pope whom Pacino has met. "He was very excited and very happy to meet the Pope," he says, noting that while Leo did not say anything "specific" to Pacino, the pontiff "blessed our film."
"Pacino was very excited and gave the Pope a hat from his hometown team. He also gave him his book," he adds.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported that Pacino was joining the cast of Maserati: The Brothers in May, with the movie reportedly eyeing a debut in the fall. Pacino will portray businessman Vincenzo Vaccaro, an early investor in the Maserati vehicle business. Anthony Hopkins, Andy Garcia, Jessica Alba, Michele Morrone and Salvatore Esposito will also star in the movie.
In a statement Iervolino shared with Deadline June 16, the film producer described the meeting as a "profound spiritual and cultural inspiration, centered around shared values that lie at the heart of both the Catholic Church and the film: family unity, love, compassion, and the importance of contributing to the common good."
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'These values, which Pope Leo XIV has consistently emphasized in his recent messages to the world, resonate deeply with the story of the Maserati brothers," Iervolino told that outlet. "A family whose legacy was built not only on innovation and excellence but on profound mutual respect, solidarity, and a shared vision.'
Pacino most recently appeared in Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, which was directed by Johnny Depp, and in 2025's The Ritual. Maserati: The Brothers does not yet have a release date.
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