Conclave (film)


Conclave is a 2024 political thriller film directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. In the film, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence organizes a conclave to elect the next pope and finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates.
After premiering at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2024, Conclave was released in theaters in the United States by Focus Features on 25 October 2024 and in the United Kingdom by Black Bear UK on 29 November 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, directing, screenplay, and cinematography. The film has grossed $128 million worldwide on a $20 million production budget. The film experienced a resurgence in popularity following the death of Pope Francis in April 2025 and the subsequent conclave in May that resulted in the election of Pope Leo XIV, who reportedly saw the film.
Conclave was named one of the top ten films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Among other accolades, it won four awards at the 78th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, and also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. At the 97th Academy Awards, it received eight nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Adapted Screenplay.

Plot

After the pope's fatal heart attack, the College of Cardinals, under the leadership of its dean, Thomas Lawrence of the United Kingdom, convenes to elect a successor. Four cardinals emerge as likely candidates: Aldo Bellini of the United States, a progressive reformer; Joshua Adeyemi of Nigeria, a social conservative; Joseph Tremblay of Canada, a moderate; and Goffredo Tedesco of Italy, a staunch traditionalist.
Archbishop Janusz Woźniak, the prefect of the papal household, tells Lawrence the pope demanded Tremblay's resignation, which Tremblay denies. Bellini, meanwhile, tells supporters his goal is to prevent Tedesco from winning the papacy. Lawrence is surprised by the last-minute arrival of Mexican-born Archbishop Vincent Benítez of Kabul, whom the pope named cardinal in pectore the previous year.
On the first day, Lawrence opens the deliberations by encouraging the college to embrace uncertainty, an act some interpret as a sign of Lawrence's papal ambition. No one obtains the two-thirds majority necessary to win, although Adeyemi leads Tedesco and Tremblay, and Bellini and Lawrence split the progressive vote. Monsignor Raymond O'Malley, Lawrence's assistant, discovers the pope paid for Benítez to be flown to Geneva for a medical appointment that Benítez later cancelled.
On the second day, an altercation takes place between Adeyemi and Sister Shanumi, a Nigerian nun recently transferred to Vatican City. Lawrence speaks with Shanumi, who confesses to a past illicit relationship that resulted in a son she gave up for adoption. Adeyemi confirms the story when pressed. Though Lawrence is bound to secrecy, a whisper campaign derails Adeyemi's candidacy. Bellini reluctantly backs Tremblay.
Working with Sister Agnes, the acting head caterer and housekeeper, Lawrence discovers that Tremblay arranged for Shanumi's transfer. When confronted, Tremblay claims that he did so at the pope's request. Lawrence enters the pope's sealed apartment and finds documents indicating Tremblay paid cardinals for votes. He shows the documents to Bellini, whose plea to conceal their existence sparks an argument.
On the third day, Lawrence and Agnes publicize Tremblay's actions, effectively removing him from contention. Lawrence reconciles with Bellini and agrees to stand against Tedesco. He plans on voting for himself during the deliberations, but before he can cast his vote, an explosion damages the Sistine Chapel. The college later learns that the explosion was part of a series of suicide bombings currently happening throughout Europe. While Tedesco calls for a religious war against Islam, Benítez argues against retaliating with violence and chastises everyone for prioritizing political agendas over their religious mission. Voting resumes and the college overwhelmingly elects Benítez, who chooses the papal name of Innocent XIV.
Lawrence is initially enthusiastic until O'Malley privately reveals Benítez's canceled medical appointment. He confronts Benítez, who reveals he was born with a uterus and ovaries but was unaware of their existence until an appendectomy revealed them. The appointment was for a laparoscopic hysterectomy that he decided against, choosing to remain as God made him. Lawrence wanders the Vatican grounds, listening to the crowds cheer Pope Innocent's election, before returning to his room. From a window, he observes three young nuns chattering in the courtyard below.

Cast

Production

It was announced in May 2022 that Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini were set to star in the film, with Edward Berger directing. Steven Rales served as one of the executive producers, co-financing the film via his production company, Indian Paintbrush. Additional casting was announced in January 2023 as production began in Rome. Filming also took place at Cinecittà. Filming concluded in March.
The set designers took great care to replicate the Sistine Chapel, though they took some artistic licence with the Domus Sanctae Marthae. They made their set more prison-like to enhance dramatic tension because they felt that the real version was rather dull. Costume designers visited Gammarelli, Tirelli Costumi, and several museums in Rome as part of their research. For the cardinals' red attire, costume designer Lisy Christl opted for a hue used in 17th-century cardinal vestments, rather than the scarlet one from modern-day ones, believing it be "far more beautiful and far easier for our eyes".
While writing the screenplay, Peter Straughan said that he met with a cardinal to discuss the logistics of the conclave. He also took a private tour of the Vatican, and said he did not feel hostility while there and felt that the Vatican had been open to him.

Soundtrack

German composer Volker Bertelmann composed the score to Conclave, his fifth collaboration with Berger. In an interview with IndieWire, Bertelmann discussed developing a sound that was neither "too ecclesiastical classical", leading to experimentation with lesser-known instruments. As a result, much of the score makes use of the Cristal Baschet, a crystallophone played using wet hands. A similar approach was used for Bertelmann's score for Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front, where a harmonium was used.
Due to many characters sharing scenes in the film, Bertelmann chose to create themes for specific situations as opposed to themes for individual characters. In addition, he had string players use a ricochet bowing technique. In order to mirror the film's conflicting factions within the cardinals, Bertelmann sometimes incorporated polyrhythms, such as triplets against sixteenth notes.

Release

In August 2022, distributor Black Bear Pictures acquired the UK rights to the film from FilmNation Entertainment via its newly-founded British subsidiary, serving as one of its first acquisitions and maiden releases. Black Bear's subsidiary company Elevation Pictures also handled the film's Canadian release.
In November 2023, Focus Features acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. In July 2024, Conclave was announced as part of the Special Presentations section for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival scheduled for 8 September 2024. The film would subsequently be announced as part of the lineup for the Telluride Film Festival, where it had its world premiere. It was also screened at the 68th BFI London Film Festival on 10 October 2024. Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera explained why the film did not play at Venice: "I didn't think it was a Competition film for Venice but I invited it Out of Competition. We tried to figure out timing for it to play here and at Telluride, which they also wanted, but we couldn't find the right dates and timing for it to work. We discussed various options but couldn't get the time that suited everyone. It's a shame."
The film was released in the United States on 25 October 2024. It was previously scheduled for a limited theatrical release on 1 November before opening wide on the following week. It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November.

Home release

The film was released on Blu-ray on December 17, 2024, followed by a 4K release on February 11, 2025.
The film became available on Amazon Prime Video on 22 April 2025, one day after the death of Pope Francis, after its earlier release window on streaming service Peacock from 13 December 2024 until April 2025.

Reception

Box office

, Conclave has grossed worldwide total of $128million with just over a quarter of this coming from the Canada and United States having a gross take of $32.5million. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film made a net profit of $15 million after all ancillaries.
In the United States and Canada, Conclave was released alongside Venom: The Last Dance, and was projected to gross $4–6 million from 1,753 theatres in its opening weekend. The film made $2.5 million on its first day, including $500,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $6.6 million, finishing in third. The film drew significantly older audiences. 77% of viewers were over 35 years old, with the largest demographic group being those over 55 at 44%, and 67% identifying as Caucasian. The film then made $5 million in its second weekend and $4.1 million in its third weekend, finishing in fourth and sixth place, respectively.