Crafting Celestial Cinema: The Vatican on the Silver Screen!

At the Cannes Film Festival six years ago, a small spark ignited between British producer Tessa Ross and a rather ambitious, freshly minted German filmmaker named Edward Berger. Now, this was no ordinary encounter; Ross, the Oscar-winning dynamo behind cinematic gems like 12 Years a Slave and Slumdog Millionaire, was smitten with Berger’s captivating British historical miniseries, Patrick Melrose. She saw in him not just a collaborator, but a kindred spirit. One cannot help but wonder what it’s like to be in the presence of such creative chemistry—the kind that leads to cocktail-fueled talks about art, ambition, and, dare I say, the junior league of Catholic intrigue.

After an array of proposed projects—a tantalizing hint at what could have been—Ross found herself back in London, pondering her next move when Eureka! A light bulb blinked above her head: Conclave, based on Robert Harris’ novel, which just so happened to be under her watchful eye. This tale danced through the corridors of Vatican power, riddled with scandal, secret agendas, and, as it turns out, a bevy of cinnamon-style tension as the cardinals engaged in some serious ecclesiastical elbow rubbing following the wide-reaching drama of a pope’s surprise departure. How very deliciously controversial! Naturally, after being enchanted by a draft from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Peter Straughan—master of taut storytelling and subdued tension—Berger jumped on board this rather intriguing rollercoaster of secrecy and power.

As Conclave made a splash nationwide, debuting over the October 25-27 weekend with a respectable $6.6 million at the box office, it became clear to everyone that its allure stretched beyond cinema-goers just looking for the latest superhero flick. Yes, people of all faiths seemed to flock to a story steeped in raucous revelations, especially as it coincided with America’s own nail-biting electoral drama, showcasing how electoral chaos isn’t merely confined to the Holy See.

What audiences witnessed on screen was not merely the product of a team of filmmakers, but a decade-long pilgrimage filled with enough Hail Marys to make any priest proud. The sheer determination of Ross was palpable as she reflected, “It took so long, but I could always see this movie.” From its divine inception to the actual filmmaking process, the universe was certainly at play.

Now let’s talk about how this project all started, perched on the precipice of serendipity. Ross found herself sharing an office with a documentary production house whose connections led her to two juicy chapters of Harris’ unfinished work. Captivated, she didn’t waste a minute reaching out to Harris, ultimately snagging the film rights right after the book was **officially** released in 2016—a real Hollywood power move if ever I saw one!

Picture this: a mutual friend, a furtive phone call, and suddenly Straughan finds himself engulfed in Harris’ literary world, devouring the novel in one blissful sitting. Movies involving elections? Oh, how they bare the underbelly of conflict! A former altar boy turned unrepentant skeptic, Straughan found himself more than equipped to wrestle with the themes at play. It turns out, the man is not only versatile but also quite the supportive collaborator on set—quite the rarity in today’s cinematic landscape.

Berger was chomping at the bit, keen to develop this narrative even amidst filming his previous project, All Quiet on the Western Front. “He can juggle about 130 projects at the same time,” Ross laughed, a somewhat breathless enthusiasm creeping into her voice. The independent financing of Conclave could only be secured if they managed to line up a star-studded cast willing to subsist at a lower pay scale— a classic Hollywood conundrum. They needed leads with gravitas, and the fate of finding a suitable Dean of Cardinals loomed large. Berger had a vision, and he was ready to envision Thomas Lawrence as a taciturn Brit rather than an Italian, a move that made perfect sense in the context of gripping storytelling.

One can almost picture Ross and Berger whispering sweet nothings to Ralph Fiennes, who quickly leapt at the chance to depict Lawrence—no awkward silences or uncomfortable pauses here! Then came Tucci’s beautifully layered Cardinal Bellini, followed by Lithgow’s unabashedly ambitious Cardinal Tremblay, and, of course, the magnetic Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes—who, let’s be honest, effectively steals the show with just around thirty carefully crafted words in the film. My, how her single admonition regarding women’s invisibility resonates powerfully, and oh, the irony that a nun is the one wielding the most influence in the room!

As they whimsically polished their project, there was even casting magic afoot with Carlos Diehz debuting in a pivotal role as the surprise Cardinal Benitez from Kabul—a character crafted with a boldness that speaks to the film’s secretive nature. Berger sought sincerity, a fresh face, and perhaps a tad bit of delightful mystery in the melancholy visage of Diehz—a challenge he met with nail-biting anticipation.

Come May 2022, high hopes were announced alongside a formidable cast, marking the beginning of a grand cinematic adventure. With independent financing wrapped up and collaboration efforts galvanizing, producer Glen Basner’s FilmNation and Steven Rales of Indian Paintbrush entered the picture—a well-oiled engine of creativity at work!