The plot of the film will reportedly have Vivaldi, having bonded with his students and brought them to a high musical standard, leading them in a performance of his compositions — including The Four Seasons — before the Pope. (There is no evidence that any such concert actually took place, though the orchestra and choir at the Piet_ under Vivaldi's direction did become famous enough to be a genuine tourist attraction.)
The new film about the Red Priest will be directed by Boris Damast from a script by journalist Steven Freedman; both have spent years studying Vivaldi's life, according to press reports.
In addition to Fiennes, the cast is set to include Malcolm McDowell, Jacqueline Bisset and G_rard Depardieu, according to Variety.