After twenty-five-plus years in the movie business, Austrian-Swiss director Edward Berger had stateside success two years ago with his Netflix war pic, “All Quiet On The Western Front.” So what’s his follow-up to that massive hit? An adaptation of a Robert Harris thriller, with plenty of heavy hitters in its main cast.
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Ralph Fiennes leads the charge in “Conclave,” along with Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini. But it’s the thriller’s set-up that arguably outdoes its A-list ensemble: the Vatican’s choice of a new Pope after the current one’s sudden death.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Conclave,” courtesy of Focus Features:
From director Edward Berger, CONCLAVE follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting a new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of The Church.
“Conclave” also stars Lucian Msamati, Brían F. O’Byrne, Carlos Diehz, Merab Ninidze, Thomas Loibl, and Sergio Castellitto.
Peter Straughan adapts Harris’ book for the big screen in “Conclave.” Berger reunites with Volker Bertelmann on the film, who composes the film’s score. Stéphane Fontaine serves as the movie’s cinematographer.
All critical eyes will be on “Conclave” and how it performs after “All Quiet On The Western Front” received 14 Oscar nods. Rumor has it that the film will premiere at Telluride later this year, so stay tuned on how it does out of that festival. As for general moviegoers, “Conclave” hits theaters on November 1. Watch a trailer for Berger’s latest below.