Fresh off of numerous award nominations and wins, Conclave has just pᴀssed an impressive milestone at the global box office. Directed by Edward Berger and based on the Robert Harris novel of the same name, the film follows Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he attempts to guide his peers towards electing a new Pope amid political turbulence and conspiracy. Upon its domestic debut, the film initially grossed $30 million in the United States and earned an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 93% from critics.
Conclave has reached a major milestone, pᴀssing $75 million at the global box office. According to Box Office Mojo, the film is currently at $76 million worldwide. This news came shortly after the movie was nominated for 12 BAFTA Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay (Adapted), and Best Cinematography.
What This Means For Conclave
Buzz for Conclave came quickly, with critics praising Berger’s sure-handed direction, Fiennes’ understated yet magnetic performance, and Stéphane Fontaine’s stellar cinematography. In his review of Conclave, Screen Rant’s Graeme Guttmann gave the drama a high score of nine out of ten, describing Berger’s direction as “fittingly operatic.” Outside of the BAFTAs, the film has also seen awards season success in the Critics Choice Awards, earning 11 nominations, and the Golden Globes, where it earned six nods in major categories, taking home a win for Best Screenplay.
It’s likely that the film will earn several Oscar nominations, garnering more buzz that may lead to more moviegoers congregating at the theater to check out the compelling and surprisingly dramatic Conclave.
All of these nods, accolades, and recent box office milestones are good optics for Conclave as voters prepare for the final stretch of awards season with the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards coming next week. It’s likely that the film will earn several Oscar nominations, garnering more buzz that may lead to more moviegoers congregating at the theater to check out the compelling and surprisingly dramatic Conclave. The critical acclaim and financial success has cemented the movie as one of 2024’s strongest dramas, and is a testament to the strength of a well-made, mature film.
Our Take On Conclave’s Box Office Milestone
Conclave deserves every penny, as it’s a testament to the argument that seemingly simple concepts like electing a new Pope are ripe with cinematic potential, and that PG-rated movies, while rare, can still perform well in awards season. This is doubly impressive, considering Berger’s last film, All Quiet on the Western Front, which won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film and was also nominated for Best Picture, was rated R.
This speaks to his versatility with storytelling, another admirable trait in today’s moviegoing landscape, which often prioritizes bigger blockbusters over mid-budget offerings. Because of the writing, direction, performances, cinematography, and potent themes, Conclave is one of my top five movies of 2024. I have my fingers crossed for the possibility of the film making it to $100 million at the global box office, perhaps spurred by further awards victories.
Source: Box Office Mojo
