‘Conclave’ viewership soars after death of Pope Francis

The viewership of ‘Conclave,’ starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, soared high after the death of Pope Francis.

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The film, which revolves around the selection of a new pontiff, saw an exorbitant increase in its viewership after Pope Francis died at 88 after complications from a stroke on April 21.

Directed by Edward Berger, ‘Conclave’ scored several nominations in the awards season earlier this year, including an Oscar nomination for best picture and best actor, among others.

‘Conclave’ viewership recorded a significant 283 percent increase on Monday as news of Pope Francis’ death spread throughout the world, according to a report by Variety.

The drama film, starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, had recorded around 1.8 million minutes viewed on April 20, however, that number reached 6.9 million by the end of April 21.

Apart from Conclave, another Vatican-themed film, ‘The Two Popes,’ also generated renewed interest.

The film’s viewership spiked 417 percent from April 20, when it generated 290,000 minutes watched, to Monday, when it reached 1.5 million minutes watched.

Read more: Cardinals to meet after death of Pope Francis, plan for funeral

It is worth noting here that Pope Francis was the first Pope from the Americas or the southern hemisphere. Not since Syrian-born Gregory III died in 741 had there been a non-European Bishop of Rome.

He was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the throne of St Peter – Jesuits were historically looked on with suspicion by Rome.

Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, was the first Pope to retire voluntarily in almost 600 years and for almost a decade the Vatican Gardens hosted two popes.