Showtime's 'Vatican' casts Matthew Goode

Showtime's push toward more high profile original series continues, as the cable network announced today that it has cast British actor Matthew Goode in the lead of its new thriller "Vatican."

As the title may suggest, the suspenseful series is set amid the inner workings of the Catholic church, exploring the internal struggles for power as well as the rivalries inherent in the organization's political struggles. The provocative thriller will pull back the curtain on the seedy underbelly of the spiritual organization and the balance between religion and politics. Goode will play papal secretary Bernd Koch, the closest confidante to the Pope who consequently plays an important and influential role in the inner workings of the church.

The one hour pilot was written by Paul Attanasio ("Donnie Brasco") and has feature director Ridley Scott ("Alien", "Prometheus") attached to direct. Both Attanasio and Scott will serve as executive producers on the series along with David Zucker ("The Good Wife").

Goode is perhaps best known for his role as Adrian Veidt in Zack Snyder's adaptation of the classic graphic novel "Watchmen." If the pilot is picked up for a series order, it would be the actor's first stateside series project as prior to this he has predominantly performed in feature films and BBC dramas "Birdsong" and "Dancing on the Edge."