Not every movie nominated at the Academy Awards has witnessed a bump in box office collections, but two titles that received similar roll-outs are performing phenomenally well. Both the music biopic A Complete Unknown and the political thriller Conclave were first released domestically, and it was only after they’d mostly concluded their domestic runs that they were unveiled in overseas markets. Now, both films are hovering around the same global box office benchmark, with Conclave having recently gotten one step closer to a coveted milestone.
With $32 million domestically and another $59 million from overseas markets, the film’s cumulative global haul now stands at $91 million. Considering how well the film has performed in the last few weeks, it’s entirely possible that it passes the $100 million mark very soon, especially after the Oscars. Conclave was produced on a reported budget of $20 million, which essentially makes it a blockbuster. Directed by Edward Berger, the film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, and follows a Cardinal’s trials and tribulations during one of history’s most secretive rituals, the Papal Conclave.
Ralph Fiennes stars in the central role, with Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini playing supporting characters. Conclave has now out-earned Fiennes’ acclaimed dark comedy film The Menu, which was perhaps aimed at a similar demographic; a category of theatrical audiences that was believed to have been lost to streaming. But the success of films such as Conclave, as well as Nosferatu and A Complete Unknown, proves that there are enough people out there who are interested in old-fashioned movie-making.
‘Conclave’ Earned Eight Oscar Nominations
Conclave opened to positive reviews, and appears to have settled at a “fresh” 93% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. It also holds an impressive 86% audience score on the platform. In his review, Collider’s Jason Gorber described the film as “a blast of brilliance, with a supremely compelling story driven by some astonishing performances.” Conclave earned eight Academy Award nominations recently, including in the Best Picture category. Fiennes was nominated for Best Actor, while Rossellini earned her first nomination ever, in the Best Supporting Actress category. Conclave‘s continued success is made all the more remarkable when you consider that it has been available on PVOD platforms for weeks. As we know, this increases the possibility of a movie being illegally distributed online. But it’s encouraging to see audiences resist that temptation.
Conclave
- Release Date
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October 25, 2024
- Runtime
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120 Minutes
- Director
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Edward Berger
- Writers
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Peter Straughan, Robert Harris