In this Jan. 21, 2015 file photo Jude Law attends the premiere of "Black Sea" at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)
CANNES, France (AP) --
Jude Law is the new pope.
The British actor will play the fictional Pope Pius XIII in "The Young Pope," a miniseries directed by Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino.
The series — a co-production of HBO, Sky and France's Canal Plus — was announced Sunday in Cannes, where Sorrentino's film "Youth" is competing for the Palme d'Or. Filming is due to begin this summer.
Law will play Lenny Belardo, who is thrust into the role of pope and must grapple with his faith and the powerful structures of the church.
Sorrentino, who will co-write the eight-part series, said it would explore "the inner struggle between the huge responsibility of the Head of the Catholic Church and the miseries of the simple man that fate (or the Holy Spirit) chose as pontiff."
Pepsi soft drinks in plastic bottles are on sale at a grocery store in New York on Weds., Nov. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion โฆ could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More
