It’s been an eventful week for Conclave, the drama-thriller about a Cardinal going through a hectic week himself. The movie earned several Academy Award nominations, and passed a major global box office milestone as it continued its overseas roll-out. Conclave pretty much concluded its domestic run before being launched internationally, and the strategy appears to have paid off handsomely. The many weeks of buzz certainly gave it the gloss of a must-watch theatrical event. And the awards season success was the cherry on the top.
With nearly $32 million domestically and another $50 million from overseas markets, Conclave’s cumulative global haul now stands at $82 million. Based on the 2016 novel by Richard Harris, the movie was produced on a reported budget of $20 million. Conclave stars Ralph Fiennes in the role of a Cardinal tasked with overseeing one of the most secretive of all religious rituals: the Papal elections. Fiennes was nominated in the Best Actor category at the Oscars, and this week, Conclave overtook the $79 million lifetime global haul of his 2022 hit, The Menu.
The success of both movies has proven that there is an audience for old-fashioned movies aimed at adults, even though the market is usually dominated by IP-driven franchise films. Conclave premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, and received widespread acclaim after its commercial release. It holds a “fresh” 93% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. In his review, Collider’s Jason Gorber described the film as “tonally perfect,” and wrote that it “plays out with the intensity of a political thriller.”
‘Conclave’ Is One of the Most Acclaimed Films of 2024

Conclave has done exceptionally well in the United Kingdom and France, where it has grossed $9 million and $8 million, respectively. It earned a leading 12 nominations at the BAFTAs, a leading 11 nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards, and six nods at the Golden Globes. It was named as one of the best films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Last week, the movie earned eight Oscar nods, including in the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor categories. Notably, the legendary Isabella Rossellini earned her first nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. You can watch Conclave at home and in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Conclave

Release Date

October 25, 2024

Runtime

120 Minutes

Director

Edward Berger

Writers

Peter Straughan, Robert Harris