The death of Pope Francis on April 21 led to an immediate surge in viewership for Edward Berger's film "Conclave." The film's plot follows the events that occur after the death of a fictional Pope and the clashes between cardinals to elect a new Pope.
The film, which won Best Film at the Bafta, was also nominated for an Oscar. According to Luminate, a global film streaming platform, “Conclave” was watched for 1.8 million minutes on April 20 and 6.9 million minutes on April 22, the day after the Pope’s death, bringing the film’s viewership to 283%.
The news of the Pope’s death also boosted viewership for “The Two Popes,” another Oscar-nominated film in 2019.
The Pope's death came due to complications caused by a stroke and was announced early on Easter Monday morning and confirmed on Monday by Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican's health department.
Pope Francis, who suffered from a chronic lung disease and had part of his lung removed as a youth, was hospitalized for 38 days earlier this year due to pneumonia.
The death of a pope triggers a series of carefully orchestrated rituals and ceremonies. The cardinals who meet the criteria will vote for a successor in the Sistine Chapel, through a process known as a conclave.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, originally from Argentina, Pope Francis brought a new spirit to a 2,000-year-old institution that had lost influence during the turbulent papacy of Benedict XVI. But Pope Francis also faced his own difficulties, as conservatives became increasingly dissatisfied with his progressive leanings, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, and suppression of traditionalists.
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