Ralph Fiennes’ hit Oscar-winning movie Conclave had an unusual impact on the selection of the newest Pope, Pope Leo XIV.
As bizarre as it may sound, reports suggested that some of the 133 high-ranking clerics who helped choose the new Pope turned to the 2024 film for pointers – and now the new Pope’s brother has confirmed that Leo XIV also watched it in preparation.
John Prevost – who still lives in Chicago and remains close to his brother, previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost – said he had asked his brother whether he had watched Conclave before taking part in the real thing. The first Pope from the United States replied that he had.
‘So he knew how to behave,’ said John, 71. He had asked the question almost as a joke, ‘because I wanted to take his mind off of it, laugh about something, because this is now an awesome responsibility,’ John told NBC News.
‘Some have watched it in the cinema,’ a cleric involved in the real thing told POLITICO of the other cardinals who watched the film in preparation for the conclave.
Apparently, the film is considered a useful research tool as the cleric told the outlet that many believe it is ‘remarkably accurate’, particularly as so many people involved in the decision-making had little experience of Vatican protocol.
Some of the cardinals appointed by the late pontiff, who arrived in Rome after the death of Pope Francis on April 21, had never experienced a conclave before.
The cardinals gathered at the Sistine Chapel on May 7 when the conclave began.
The 2024 historical drama Conclave follows Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) organising a conclave to elect the next pope.
The cardinal soon finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates, as the election process goes seriously awry.
The movie also stars John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, with Edward Berger directing.
While Conclave is not based on a true story, there are a lot of moments in the selection of a new pope that are accurate.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, who consulted with the late English cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor on the details of his book.
Conclave was a huge smash during awards season taking home four awards in total, including best film and best British film at the Baftas.
The film was nominated for 12 Bafta awards in total, making it the one to beat during the awards season.
During the Academy Awards, the film only managed to snag one award for best adapted screenplay, despite being nominated for eight awards.
The film also won two Critics’ Choice Awards after being nominated for 11 awards.
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