Summary
TheConclavetrailer centers on a Cardinal who must uncover a conspiracy behind the Pope’s death. Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) and written by Peter Straughan(Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), both of whom are Oscar nominees, the upcoming thriller is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Robert Harris and follows a Cardinal tasked with finding the deceased Pope’s successor and discovers that he harbored a secret that must be uncovered. The film’s cast is led by three Oscar nominees –Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow – alongside Isabella Rossellini and more.
Now,Focus Featureshas released the first official trailer forConclave. Watch it below:
The trailer begins with the sudden passing of the beloved Pope, and Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with overseeing the highly secretive and ancient tradition of selecting a new one. As the Catholic Church’s top leaders converge from around the globe and seclude themselves within the Vatican, Lawrence becomes entangled in a conspiracy and uncovers a secret with the potential to destabilize the very core of the Church.
How Conclave Compares To Recent Papal Movies & TV Shows
The Young Pope, The Two Popes, & The Pope’s Exorcist
Conclavecontinues a recent tradition of movies and television shows centered on the leader of the Catholic Church. The recent trend seems to have been started byThe Young Popein 2016, an HBO series following Jude Law as the fictional Pius XIII, the first American pope who disrupts the Vatican with his controversial views. The series was later followed byThe New Popein 2020with Law reprising his role, joined by John Malkovich as the fictional John Paul III and the eponymous new pope who is elected after Pius XIII falls into a coma.
With the two HBO shows focused on fictional popes and were satirical in style,The Two Popesfollowsa meeting between the real-life Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and his future successor Francis (Jonathan Pryce) as both consider resigning their positions in the aftermath of the Vatican leaks scandal. The Netflix film received three Oscar nominations for Hopkins and Pryce’s performances, and its screenplay. Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, the Pope’s personal exorcist, the 2023 film follows his investigation of a demonic possession as he discovers a shocking secret the Vatican has kept buried for centuries.
Pope’s Exorcist True Story: 12 Biggest Changes To Father Amorth’s Real Claims
The Pope’s Exorcist is based on the claims of Father Gabriele Amorth, but Russell Crowe’s shotgun-toting priest makes some changes to the true story.
Conclavehas much in common with the recent string of pope-centric shows and movies. Like the two HBO shows, it follows a transfer of power within the Vatican, though the thriller doesn’t appear to be satirical. Its central premise is also strikingly similar toThe Pope’s Exorcist, as both involve the discovery of shocking secrets inside the Vatican.Conclavealso involves multiple Oscar nominees behind and in front of the camera so, likeThe Two Popes, the film could garner some awards season attention despite being a thriller.
Conclave
Cast
Cardinal Lawrence leads the secretive papal election at the Vatican, where he uncovers a conspiracy and a secret that could destabilize the Church’s foundation as leaders gather from around the world.
