Trivia / Pope Joan

• California Doubling: The Roman scenes were filmed in Morocco.
• Completely Different Title:
  • In German, both the novel and the film are titled Die Päpstin - "The Popess".
  • Both Spanish titles try to translate the German one, but without using the literal translation La Papisa (which is how Pope Joan is usually called in Spanish). Thus instead we have La Mujer Papa ("The Woman Pope") in Spain and La Pontífice ("The [Female] Pontiff") in Latin America.
• Deleted Scene: Most differences between the theatrical and TV version are just prolonged scenes. However some are completely original, like Johanna's father killing the midwife in a Trial by Ordeal, Johanna talking to Matthew's grave and discussing St. Benedict's teachings with the Fulda abbot, and Gerold's men finding Johanna's wedding dress at the massacred church.
• Dueling Works:
  • With Agora, another European feminist film about a woman ahead of her time that acquires a great position before being victimized by ancient Christianity (or, men hiding their lust for power behind the faith).
  • The 1972 Pope Joan film (titled The Devil's Imposter in parts of the US) was also re-edited and re-released in 2009 as She... Who would be Pope.
• Executive Meddling: See What Could Have Been below.
• Follow the Leader:
  • Promotion hinged on portraying the story of Pope Joan as a secret that the Catholic Church didn't want the public to know, following on the hype of The Da Vinci Code.
  • Early Medieval Rome, full of political intrigue, violence, Ancient influence and ruins, will remind viewers of Rome. Even Michael Woodeson is there.
• Orphaned Reference: In the TV version, Johanna suggests using the funds allocated to build new churches to repair the aqueduct, but is overruled; after becoming Pope, she has it fixed. The first scene is absent from the theatrical version but still has her looking at the repaired aqueduct as Pope.
• What Could Have Been: Volker Schloendorff was originally attached to direct and Franka Potente, to star. However Schloendorff left when executives told him to shoot a theatrical film and a TV miniseries version at the same time, and Potente quit in support. Johanna Wokalek then replaced Potente.

---