‘Conclave,’ ‘Two Popes’ viewership 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, showed that the viewership for “Conclave” jumped 283 percent on April 21, after news broke of

English actor Ralph Fiennes played Cardinal Lawrence in “Conclave.” PHOTO: SHAW ORGANISATION via The Straits Times 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, showed that the viewership for “Conclave” jumped 283 percent on April 21, after news broke 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 thriller was directed by Germany-born filmmaker Edward Berger and starred actors such as Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini. The Two Popes starred Anthony Hopkins (left) as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis.

PHOTO: NETFLIX via The Straits Times 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 biographical drama is an account of the 2013 transfer of power from Pope Benedict XVI to Pope Francis, in the first voluntary resignation of a pontiff in more than 700 years. “The Two Popes,” directed by Brazilian filmmaker 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. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .

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