'Conclave' writer gets honest about choosing new Pope

Robert Harris wrote the bestselling novel Conclave in 2016, which was later adapted into a film in 2024.

In the wake of Pope Francis's death, Catholic cardinals worldwide will huddle to choose his successor.

This process is secretive, and the British author compared it to The Traitors. 

“[It’s] the nearest analogy I can come to. Suddenly everyone swings to one person – you can’t see why, particularly, but it happens,” he told the BBC.

“And in a funny way, a similar dynamic does operate in a conclave, which is why often it produces a surprise," the 68-year-old continued.

On the other hand, the movie starring Ralph Fiennes and showing how a pope is selected observed a spike in viewership after Francis' demise.

According to Wired, Luminate, an analytical platform, noted a rise of 283% in Edward Berger's films.

But it is not the only movie to experience a boost in viewership. Netflix's The Two Popes also saw its numbers up by 417%.

Francis died in April from a stroke followed by a coma and heart failure. He was 88.