by Tablet Staff

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV joins actor Chris Pratt in a new documentary that takes viewers into the ancient necropolis beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the Vatican’s most restricted archaeological sites.

The film, titled “Pétros ení” (Greek for “Peter is here”), examines Roman tombs, burial chambers and inscriptions uncovered during excavations ordered by Pope Pius XII in 1939. Eleven meters underground, archaeologists found an extensive Roman necropolis.

Pope Paul VI later said the evidence convincingly indicated the remains of St. Peter, the first pope, according to the production.

Director Paula Ortiz said the title refers to a Greek inscription discovered during those excavations. “Well, I hope the great treasure hidden beneath the Vatican sparks curiosity and mystery for everyone,” Ortiz said. “For one thing, it truly is an archaeological gem, one of the largest preserved necropolises from antiquity.”

The documentary offers a rare on-camera appearance by Pope Leo XIV at the site traditionally associated with the origins of the papacy.

Ortiz said the papal segment was filmed with little advance notice because of scheduling and security constraints.“We didn’t even know if it would happen,” Ortiz said.

“Because of scheduling and security, we were only told that same day that we’d be filming the pope. We initially had half an hour, then an hour, to get everything done in a single take, one shot. After all, the pope isn’t an actor, so he had to deliver the entire text in one go.”

Pope Leo wrote his own lines for the film, drawing on the writings of G.K. Chesterton and focusing on the theme of fragility. Ortiz described the pontiff as “very intelligent, calm, kind and precise, with that mathematical quality to his character,” adding, “I wish all actors were like Pope Leo.”

Pratt, known for the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films and a recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, joined the project well into production and also served as a producer.

“Chris Pratt came on board, too,” Ortiz said. “Well into the documentary’s production, he said he wanted to take part, even as a producer. And yes, I think Chris Pratt has been one of the major pillars supporting this documentary.”

The film arrives four centuries after the consecration of the present St. Peter’s Basilica. Pratt guides viewers through the archaeological layers while Pope Leo XIV provides narration at the site.