'Conclave' viewership surges in Korea following death of Pope Francis

Vatican drama sees spike in theater attendance, streaming views

A scene from "Conclave" (NK Contents)

The death of Pope Francis on Monday has triggered a spike in viewership for "Conclave" in South Korea, where the movie continues its theatrical run nearly two months after its March 5 local release.

According to the Korean Film Council's latest box office data, "Conclave" sold 1,507 tickets on Tuesday, a 63.8 percent jump from the previous day. The film climbed to fifth place in daily ticket sales, having largely remained outside the top 10 throughout the previous week.

Cinema chains across Korea are responding to the growing interest. CGV, the country's largest multiplex operator, is hosting promotional events starting Friday that provide special posters and merchandise to viewers attending "Conclave" screenings at theaters nationwide, including locations in Seoul's Yongsan and Daehangno.

An official from NK Contents, the film's local distributor, confirmed that while these events were planned before the pope's death, theaters have made plans to increase the number of screens showing the film from this weekend.

The hype has extended to streaming platforms as well. On Watcha, currently the only Korean streaming service offering the film, "Conclave" had risen to first place among the most-purchased titles as of Tuesday. The platform is currently offering the film at a discounted price of 8,800 won ($6.20), down from the previous 11,000 won.

"Conclave," directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, follows the secretive process of electing a new pope after the death of a progressive pontiff.

The film's detailed portrayal of the Vatican's rituals and behind-the-scenes politics has gained particular relevance following Francis' death at age 88 from a stroke. Critics have noted parallels between the film's portrayal of the Catholic Church's reform-minded leadership and Francis' own progressive tenure at the Vatican.

Even before these recent events, "Conclave" had enjoyed a fairly successful theatrical run in Korea.

Now in its eighth week of release — well beyond the typical one-month run for non-blockbuster foreign films — it had accumulated over 275,000 admissions as of last week. These figures make it the fourth most successful American film released in Korea so far this year, behind only "Mickey 17," "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 3."

The film has earned positive reviews from Korean audiences, scoring an 8.78 out of 10 rating from viewers on the local search engine Naver and a 98 percent approval rating on CGV's website.