Latest news with #Vatican-themed
Euronews
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
‘Conclave' viewership soars after Pope's death – How accurate is the Oscar-winning film?
ADVERTISEMENT The death of Pope Francis on Monday 21 April has seen a renewal of interest in the Oscar-winning film Conclave and resulted in an increase in home viewership numbers. The 2024 movie, directed by Edward Berger and revolving around the selection of a new pontiff, is available on various PVOD (premium video on demand) platforms and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. According to Luminate, which tracks viewership of streaming content, Conclave spiked 283% on Monday as word of Pope Francis' death hit the headlines. To put that figure in context, Conclave was generating around 1.8 million minutes viewed on 20 April; by the end of 21 April, that number rocketed to 6.9 million minutes viewed. Another Vatican-themed film, Netflix's 2019 drama The Two Popes , also generated renewed interest, with viewership spiking 417% from Sunday, when it generated 290,000 minutes watched, to 1.5 million minutes watched on Monday. No figures about Ron Howard's Angels & Demons - but we recommend to stay well away from parachuting popes and antimatter explosions courtesy of Dan Brown. What is Conclave about? Conclave Focus Features The papal thriller, based on Robert Harris' book of the same name, is a fictional take on the closed-door process of appointing a new pontiff, known as a conclave – which is set to begin in real life on 5 May. Starring Ralph Fiennes , Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini , we see how the College of Cardinals gather to nominate the church's new leader. Fiennes' Cardinal Thomas Lawrence organizes the conclave after the previous pope died of a heart attack. Four candidates emerge as frontrunners - each representing different values. Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) is a conservative; Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) believes the church has become too progressist; Aldo Bellini (Tucci) is a progressive in the mold of the previous pope; and Joseph Tremblay (Lithgow) is a moderate who may have been asked to resign by the late pontiff. No one obtains the two-thirds majority required to assume the role, and even Lawrence receives votes - despite declaring he doesn't want to be the new pope. As the days pass, bargaining begins, secrets about the candidates are unearthed and new alliances are formed as the cardinals are revealed to be entirely self-serving in their pursuit of power. The vain war of factions also leads Sister Agnes (Rossellini) to demonstrate that the College of Cardinals is a retrograde organisation and has – to put it mildly – many failings when it comes to gender politics and ethics. (WARNING: Spoilers ahead) An attack by a suicide bomber outside the Vatican leads the traditionalist Tedesco to call for a holy war, while Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) makes a rousing speech about tolerance. He declares that violence should not be met with more violence and that the church needs to focus on the future. After a lot of cattiness, Benitez is elected as the church's new leader. ADVERTISEMENT However, questions remain about the mysterious archbishop, who appears to have an undisclosed health issue. Lawrence discovers that the late pope paid for Benitez to fly to Switzerland for a medical procedure - though Benitez ended up cancelling it. The final scenes of Conclave see Lawrence confronting Benitez about the nature of his aborted Swiss trip. Moment of truth: Benitez is intersex and the late pope facilitated an appointment for a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Benitez, who identifies as male, tells Lawrence that he decided to not go through with the procedure. "I am as God made me," he tells Lawrence, adding that he "exists between certainties." ADVERTISEMENT Lawrence, who previously stated that "certainty is the great enemy of unity," hears his story and says: "Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there is only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith." Is Conclave based on a true story and how accurate is it? Conclave Focus Features As previously mentioned, Conclave was adapted from a 2016 novel by Robert Harris – the author best known for his works of historical fiction ("Fatherland", "Archangel", "Munich") and who wrote the screenplays for Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer and An Officer And A Spy . So no, it's not based on a true story. However, Harris did reveal in an interview with TIME in 2024 that elements of the story were inspired by real-life events. "There's an alleged diary by a cardinal from the conclave that elected Ratzinger as Pope Benedict that describes the ballot process and an attempt to try and stop Ratzinger," he said. ADVERTISEMENT "There was also a great liberal cardinal from Milan who was expected year after year to become the pope. He was always the favorite, but he only came third after the first ballot. That's the Stanley Tucci character in the movie and sets up the human drama, the man who's waited all his life only for it to slip away from him." Regarding accuracy, Berger emphasized during the press tour for Conclave that visits to the Vatican, an on-set consultant helping to ensure accuracy for Catholic ritual, as well as the wealth of research made available by Harris, were instrumental. And many religious experts have praised the film for its detailed approach and its depiction of the selection of a new pope. Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a historian of Catholicism at Notre Dame, told the Guardian: 'They got a lot of the details right… The movie did a really good job of balancing the human – people, men who are ambitious, who have very strong feelings about what the church needs'. Cummings also praised the details in the film, adding: 'They'll be having dinners, they'll be gathering in apartments… There will be: 'Who's supporting who? Is there a clear majority going in? Is there a clear front runner going in?' That's all happening.' ADVERTISEMENT Indeed, cardinals in the film are seen living in the Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse on the grounds of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City – something which will happen at the beginning of next month. Berger's film also accurately depicts the voting process, the need to sweep the Sistine Chapel for electronic listening devices prior to voting, and what happens when a two-thirds majority is not reached – ie: the votes threaded together and burnt with an additive to produce black smoke, as opposed to the white smoke when a candidate is elected. According to Rev. Thomas Reese, a columnist at Religion News Service with a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, the film was faithful to the truth. "The voting procedure was done very well," Reese said. Bill Cavanaugh, a professor of Catholic Studies at DePaul University, agreed: 'Certainly the mise-en-scene of the movie, they take pains to be very accurate on that.' ADVERTISEMENT However, Cavanaugh stated that the characters were 'a little bit exaggerated' and that cardinals 'don't fall neatly into progressive and conservative camps. In general, it's much more of a mixed bag.' What does Conclave get wrong? Conclave Focus Features As with all Hollywood takes, some veracity is sacrificed for dramatic effect and other elements are added to ensure viewers remain on tenterhooks. Conclave 's warring factions are very clear and at times bordering on caricature, but it is true that some popes are more liberal than others. Pope Francis, for example, diverged from his predecessors when it came to gay rights and climate change. He frequently decried global warming and embraced LGBTQ individuals – even if he did stop short of full acceptance. So the film's depiction of the conversative factions within the Vatican – while seemingly exaggerated – are based in truth. ADVERTISEMENT Two major details seem to be sticking points, however. Fiennes' character Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with overseeing the conclave and is depicted in the film as fulfilling the roles of both the camerlengo (the person who traditionally takes over the Holy See) and the dean of the College of Cardinals. In reality, these are two separate roles. Then there's Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Diehz), who was made a cardinal in pectore - a Latin phrase referring to a process where appointments are made in secret. Contrary to what the film depicts, cardinals who have only been named in secret cannot take part in a conclave unless his name was announced by the pope before he died. This is not the case in the film. As for the denouement – considered by some as anti-Catholic propaganda – it feels like a hopeful one, showing that progress is possible even within an organisation viewed by some as archaic and retrograde. ADVERTISEMENT Oh, and regarding the humorous sight of Cardinal Tedesco vaping, no insight on whether cardinals hit the pens... However, some are smokers, so who knows? Where to watch Conclave? Conclave is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. It's well worth it – not just for its accuracies with regards to the rituals inherent to the death of a pope, but chiefly because it's a thrilling watch that shines due to a stellar ensemble cast. The upcoming conclave in the wake of Pope Francis' death will last significantly longer than the movie's 120-minute runtime. Whether it'll be as dramatic, we may never know... ADVERTISEMENT
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
'Conclave' viewership surges 283 per cent following Pope Francis' death
LOS ANGELES: The viewership of papal thriller drama "Conclave" has spiked 283 per cent following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, according to Luminate, which tracks viewership of streaming content. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose Francis as his papal name when he took over the Catholic Church in 2013, died on Monday at the age of 88. "Conclave", which released in 2024 and won Peter Straughan the best adapted screenplay Oscar earlier this year, revolves around the selection of a new pontiff. According to Luminate, as quoted by entertainment outlet Variety, "Conclave" is available on various PVOD (premium video on demand) platforms and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video without any extra cost to subscribers. The film generated about 1.8 million minutes viewed on April 20 and by the end of April 21, that number had reached 6.9 million minutes viewed. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Robert Harris, "Conclave" is directed by Edward Berger and stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. The film is set just after the death of a pope and follows the papal election process and the College of Cardinals convene to elect the Bishop of Rome. Netflix's 2019 film "The Two Popes", another Vatican-themed film, also witnessed a surge in viewership on the platform. It follows Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) as he attempts to convince cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop as he confides his own intentions to abdicate the papacy. Viewership spiked 417 per cent from Sunday, when it generated 290,000 minutes watched, to Monday, when it reached 1.5 million minutes watched.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Conclave sees massive surge in viewership following Pope Francis' death, jumps 283% to nearly 7 million minutes
The death of Pope Francis on Monday (April 21) led to a significant spike in interest in Vatican-themed films, with the 2024 drama Conclave seeing a dramatic boost in viewership. The movie, which centers on the secretive process of selecting a new pope, is currently available on various premium video-on-demand platforms and is streaming at no additional cost on OTT platforms as well. According to a report by Variety, the data from Luminate, a company that monitors streaming viewership, Conclave experienced a 283% jump in viewing minutes, the day after the Pope's passing. On Sunday (April 20), the film had generated roughly 1.8 million minutes of watch time. That figure surged to 6.9 million minutes by the next day as global audiences responded to the news. The film, directed by Edward Berger, stars Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci and was a strong contender during the latest awards season. It earned several major nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor at the Oscars, and received critical acclaim for its performances and direction. Pope Francis, who died early Monday morning at age 88 due to complications following a stroke, had long been a prominent spiritual figure on the global stage. His passing came just one day after Easter Sunday, amplifying the emotional response from both the religious and secular communities. In addition to Conclave, other films that explore similar themes also saw renewed interest. Netflix's 2019 biographical drama The Two Popes experienced a sharp increase in viewership, climbing 417% from Sunday to Monday. The film saw 290,000 minutes watched on Sunday, which jumped to 1.5 million minutes the next day. In the hours following the announcement of Pope Francis' death, numerous Hollywood figures paid tribute to him on social media, sharing personal reflections and expressing admiration for his leadership, compassion, and global influence.
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Streaming viewership for Conclave and Two Popes soars after Pope Francis' death
Streaming viewership for Conclave and Two Popes soars after Pope Francis' death Interest in Conclave (2024) and The Two Popes (2019) – two Vatican-themed films – has spiked in the United States following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at age 88. Figures from Luminate, which tracks streaming data, show that the viewership of Conclave jumped 283 per cent on April 21, after news of Pope Francis' death. Streaming viewership for Conclave reached 6.9 million minutes by the end of April 21, compared with about 1.8 million minutes on April 20, according to Luminate. Conclave, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by British writer Robert Harris, tells the story of the intrigue and horse-trading behind the scenes during the election of a new pope following the death of the previous pontiff. The film was directed by Germany-born film-maker Edward Berger and starred actors such as Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini. Conclave opened in Singapore cinemas on Jan 2 and is still showing here. It was feted during awards season in February when Pope Francis was in critical condition with double pneumonia. It won four prizes, including for Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, at the Bafta Awards. The film received eight nominations at the Academy Awards in March, including for Best Picture; Best Actor for Fiennes, 62; and Best Supporting Actress for Rossellini, 72. It won for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Two Popes starred Anthony Hopkins (left) and Jonathan Pryce. PHOTO: NETFLIX Meanwhile, according to Luminate, The Two Popes reported a 417 per cent leap in viewership on April 21, with the film logging 290,000 viewership minutes on April 20 and 1.5 million minutes the next day. The biographical drama film was an account of the 2013 transfer of power from Pope Benedict to Pope Francis, in the first voluntary resignation of a pontiff in more than 700 years. The Two Popes, directed by Brazilian film-maker Fernando Meirelles, starred Welsh actors Anthony Hopkins, 87, as Pope Benedict and Jonathan Pryce, 77, as Pope Francis. It received three nominations at the Academy Awards in 2020: Best Actor for Pryce, Best Supporting Actor for Hopkins and Best Adapted Screenplay. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
