How Pope Francis’ Demise Boosted Conclave and Two Popes’ Viewership; REPORT

On the sorrowful day of April 21st, Pope Francis, aged 88, departed from this world. In times of mourning, many have sought solace in viewing films about popes, such as Conclave, an Academy Award winner by Focus Features, and The Two Popes, a three-time Oscar nominee produced by Netflix.

The play “Conclave,” featuring Ralph Fiennes, centers on the events that unfold following the demise of a current Pope. Fiennes’ character is tasked with overseeing the internal elections, known as the Conclave, and navigating the complex power struggles, societal and spiritual divides.

As a die-hard fan, I’m totally hooked on this movie! The plot seems eerily reminiscent of our current reality, and it’s drawing in audiences like never before on streaming platforms. Luminate data shows that US viewership for the film has skyrocketed by an astounding 283% over the past few days, with a whopping average of 6.9 million minutes watched every day! I can’t get enough!

In the realm of cinema, I had the privilege to follow and appreciate the extraordinary film directed by Edward Berger, which garnered an Oscar for the remarkable Adapted Screenplay penned by Peter Straughan. Upon its debut, this masterpiece generated a tremendous buzz, raking in over $115 million at the box office, a significant achievement considering its production budget of merely $20 million.

The television series “The Two Popes” saw a significant increase in U.S. viewership by 417% within two days following Pope Francis’s death. On April 20th, the show was viewed for approximately 290,000 minutes, and the next day, it was watched for a staggering 1.5 million minutes.

2019 saw the casting of Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis and Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict in a movie. Pryce’s portrayal earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, while Hopkins received a nod for Best Supporting Actor. Additionally, Anthony McCarten was recognized with a nomination in the Academy Awards’ Best Adapted Screenplay category.

Within the confines of the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI, who is traditionally-minded, and the more progressive Pope Francis, who is yet to come, need to meet on common issues to chart a fresh course for the Catholic Church, as suggested by the film’s summary.

You can stream the movie “Conclave” on Amazon Prime Video, while “The Two Popes” can be found on Netflix for viewing.

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2025-04-23 17:07