Actor Ian Holm is to play Pope John Paul II in a TV biopic, it was announced today.
Holm, who played Bilbo Baggins in the 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy, will star in a four-hour mini-series for US channel CBS.
Pope John Paul II died in April aged 84.
Holm, 73, will portray him from the time he was elected to the papacy in 1978 until his death, taking in the assassination attempt in 1981 and his diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease.
A younger actor will play his earlier years, from his time as a student in Poland.
Tentatively titled 'Pope John Paul II', the script for the biopic has reportedly been supervised by historians from the Vatican.
The film-makers have been granted exclusive access to St Peter's Square and its surroundings.
