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Edward Berger’s “Conclave” had perfect timing.
That’s probably what a lot of people thought on Thursday after the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was announced following a two-day conclave. At the ancient ritual, cardinals gather in secrecy to elect a pope — complete with smoke signals, deliberations and theatrics that could’ve rivaled its Hollywood depiction.
The ins and outs of the centuries-old papal process hadn’t become a mainstream topic until “Conclave” emerged as one of last year’s biggest films. Buzz surrounding the movie got so big that it even earned its own dedicated stan account on X, Pope Crave, a parody of celeb news account Pop Crave, that has almost 100,000 followers.
Now, with a new pope in place, the film has garnered interest again.
Social media was quick to point out how the release of “Conclave” funnily coincided with real-life developments at the Vatican this week:
Who can blame them, though? It’s hard to ignore the uncanny arrival of “Conclave” mere months before the death of Pope Francis. As a result of his death, we seemingly got to experience the movie’s events all over again, now in real life.
It’s interesting to see just how relevant “Conclave” has remained since its release in October. The film, based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel of the same name and starring three-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes, earned rave reviews and won several awards, including an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The “Conclave” buzz could’ve stopped there, but the film surged back into the zeitgeist last month after Francis died. Some wondered if the election of his successor would echo the events of “Conclave,” which depicted the notoriously top-secret rite against the backdrop of Vatican politics and power struggles. Predictions weren’t too far off based on how this week’s conclave went.
Aside from some fictionalized details — like unearthed scandals and corruption surrounding the mysterious death of a former pope — “Conclave” is a pretty accurate depiction of the titular process (save for excluding some deeply spiritual aspects), thanks to thorough research conducted by Harris and those behind the film.
“We were given a private tour of the Vatican, and they were quite welcoming, actually, quite helpful. So it was a big research project, really,” “Conclave” screenwriter Peter Straughan told USA Today.
Speaking to The National Catholic Reporter last year, Fiennes added of the film: “If we were to be taken seriously, I knew we had to get the rituals right. … I hate when… it’s not done properly or if it’s messy. For those who are in these spaces, those elements are important.”
The response to the movie’s meticulous detail is a testament to its theatrical success and real-life impact, as it became a helpful guide for some of the 133 cardinal-electors who had little experience with conclave protocol until this week.
“Some have watched [‘Conclave’] in the cinema,” one cleric told Politico about the preparation to select Prevost, who’s now taken the name Pope Leo XIV. According to his brother John Prevost, the new pope also watched the film before his election, “so he knew how to behave.”
“Conclave” has had a similar impact on its Pope Crave fan account, run by artist Susan Bin, which went from sharing film updates to actual papal process updates for inquiring minds. “The pivot to me was natural,” Bin shared in a recent interview with Time Magazine. “When we started with the whole Oscar thing and with ‘Conclave,’ people still wanted to learn about conclave and its actual practice.”
And demand remains high for anything that demystifies the practice, as, per CBS News, sales for Harris’ historical novel are “up tenfold.” Luminate reported that the viewership of “Conclave,” currently streaming on Prime Video, also spiked by 283% one day after Francis’ death.
Already, “Conclave” appears to be the most relevant movie of the year, whether by coincidence or providence. The inner workings of Vatican affairs now have a spotlight unlike we’ve ever seen in pop culture, giving “life imitates art” a whole new meaning.
If the discourse continues, “Conclave” just might become the go-to reference for all things papal.
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