Viewership of the film Conclave increases after the death of Pope Francis

As the Catholic Church prepares for its first papal conclave in 12 years, following the death of Pope Francis, many have turned their attention to the successful film Conclave.

The 2024 thriller, starring actor Ralph Fiennes, tells the story of the world's most important Catholic Church Cardinals, who gather at the Vatican to elect a new Pope.

This scenario will be realized in real life over the coming days and weeks, following the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.

Following the news of the Pope's death, many fans headed to various streaming platforms to watch the Conclave, according to Variety.

The film – which earned eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture – saw a huge increase in viewership, increasing by a whopping 283%.

The Conclave had recorded approximately 1.8 million minutes of viewing on April 20 – the day before the Pope's death was announced – which rose to 6.9 million the next day.

The film can currently be watched for free on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service, however it is also available on several other video on demand (PVOD) services. /Telegraph/