‘Conclave’ viewership is up after death of Pope Francis

Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence and Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini in director Edward Berger's "Conclave." (Courtesy of Focus Features via CNN Newsource)

The recent death of Pope Francis has ignited interest in a film about the selection of a new pope.

“Conclave,” a political thriller released last year, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and viewership is up 283 per cent, according to Luminate.

The data and analytical company tracks viewership of streaming content and reports the critically acclaimed film generated around 1.8 million minutes viewed on April 20. After the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88 on April 21, that number climbed to 6.9 million minutes.

Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow star in “Conclave,” which follows the behind-the-scenes drama of senior figures in the Roman Catholic Church as the process to select a new pope plays out. The film is adapted from the 2016 novel of the same name.

The movie was a favourite of the most recent awards season. It won the BAFTA for best film and its writer Peter Straughan won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.

“Conclave” is not the only Vatican related film that has renewed interest.

According to Variety, Netflix’s 2019 drama “The Two Popes” has also attracted more viewership having spiked 417 per cent.

“Conclave” is available to stream on Prime Video, and rent or buy on platforms including Apple TV+.