Deacon Zak Santiago inspires miniseries

In brief

Front Street Pictures has begun developing a miniseries titled Deacon, inspired by the life of Vancouver deacon Zak Santiago. The fictional drama will follow Santiago Luna, a former boxer and street criminal who finds redemption through the Catholic diaconate.

Producer and actor John Cassini encouraged the project, and showrunner Jonathan Lloyd Walker is also involved in the production. Santiago told The B.C. Catholic that while he previously considered a reality show about his life as a DJ, he set that idea aside when he felt called to the permanent diaconate. He noted that although he expects the process of making the series to be difficult, he feels the Holy Spirit is leading him toward the project.

The production team plans to introduce the series to potential partners at the Toronto International Film Festival Market in September.