By Nicole Winfield
VATICAN CITY (AP) --Actor Russell Crowe and the makers of the big-budget film "Noah" attended Pope Francis' general audience Wednesday but didn't get what they most wanted: a papal meeting and photo-op.
Crowe had lobbied hard for a papal thumbs up for his film and the ensuing publicity a Francis blessing would bring. The film has been banned in much of the Muslim world because of its depiction of the prophet, while U.S. conservatives have complained it took liberties with the Biblical account of the flood.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the request from Noah's producers for a private audience was immediately turned down.
In an email Wednesday to The Associated Press, Lombardi said there was similarly no scheduled "meet and greet" after Wednesday's general audience, when VIPs can often get a quick word with the pope.
"They could have been at the audience like anyone else," Lombardi said. Wednesday's audience drew an estimated crowd of 80,000.
Francis is loath to lend such blessings for publicity. Given his sensitivities to the Muslim world — and his upcoming trip to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories — it would seem natural that he would decline any public endorsement of a film that might offend Muslim viewers.
Variety reported that the Noah delegation, including Crowe, director Darren Aronofsky, producer Scott Franklin, and the vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, Rob Moore, had met with the pope. Variety cited a spokeswoman for Universal, which is distributing the film in Italy.
But in an email to AP, Paramount merely said the delegation "went to hear" Francis' address at the audience.
Crowe was spotted in the VIP section of St. Peter's Square, but was too far back to reach the pope.
After the audience, Crowe tweeted: "Thank you holy father @Pontifex for the blessing," and "What a privilege, attended the Udienza with the holy father @Pontifex."
Despite his general aversion to publicity, Francis did make an exception and greeted Philomena Lee and the makers of the Oscar-nominated film "Philomena" during a recent general audience. The film is based on Lee's story of being sent to a Catholic-run boarding house in Ireland where she was forced to give up her son for adoption.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
“I’ve... Read More