Conclave, a new political thriller directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, passed the $15 million mark this weekend as reported by Collider, despite being released in only 1,700 theaters. The film retained its spot in the domestic top five this weekend, trailing just behind Venom: The Last Dance, The Wild Robot and Smile 2.
Conclave cost a reported $20 million to produce, and is sure to make a significant profit, especially if it expands to a wider release in the future. The total gross from the last weekend was $5.3 million, only a 20% decrease from its opening weekend of $6.5 million. This can likely be attributed to positive word of mouth and its extremely high Rotten Tomatoes score, with a 92% critic score and an 84% audience score.
Conclave follows a cardinal, played by Ralph Fiennes, who must oversee the selection of a new pope for the Catholic Church after the previous pope’s untimely death. Along the way, he uncovers a conspiracy that could topple the church itself. Based on the book by Robert Harris, Conclave offers a nuanced and challenging view of the Roman Catholic Church as an institution. The film teases a peak behind the curtain of the pope selection process, something that has always been kept very secretive by the church.
Another contributor to box office success is the film’s awards buzz. Conclave is already being eyed as an awards contender, both for the film as a whole as well as for Ralph Fiennes’ performance. His performance is being called one of the best of his career, and he is currently a likely nominee for Best Actor at the Oscars.
Conclave is still playing in theaters nationwide and be on the lookout for the film again once awards season rolls around.
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