Surge in Viewership of ‘Conclave’ After Pope Francis’s Passing

Anyone who watched the Oscar-winning film ‘Conclave’ by Edward Berger last November with Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci in lead roles could not help but draw parallels after the passing of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025. The loss of Pope Francis reignited interest in the film, which is available on various PVOD platforms and streams on Amazon Prime Video. According to reports, viewership skyrocketed by 283% immediately following the announcement of the death of the ‘Pope of the Poor.’ The film recorded approximately 1.8 million minutes of viewing on April 20 and by the end of April 21, this number had reached 6.9 million minutes. Directed by Austrian filmmaker Edward Berger, ‘Conclave’ is adapted from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel of the same name. Berger cast an exceptional Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Laurence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals responsible for organizing the conclave. Another Vatican-themed movie, Netflix’s ‘The Two Popes’ from 2019, also saw a resurgence in interest due to the Pope’s passing, with its viewership increasing by 417% from Sunday when it recorded 290,000 minutes of viewing to Monday when it reached 1.5 million minutes. During the Oscar season, actors from ‘Conclave’ were frequently asked about Pope Francis’s health since he had been hospitalized in late February. Isabella Rossellini wished him well during the SAG Awards, saying: ‘First of all, we would like to wish a speedy recovery to Pope Francis.’ Director Martin Scorsese described the Pope’s death as a ‘tremendous loss,’ praising his wisdom, kindness, and commitment to good.