After four weeks on the big screen, “Conclave” has managed to do something that few other adult-skewing films have achieved in the post-pandemic era: Sell some tickets.
Director Edward Berger’s mystery thriller about the politicking and backstabbing behind the selection of a new pope has generated $26.5 million at the domestic box office since late October. Ticket sales are projected to surpass $30 million and counting — and that’s thanks to its atypical release strategy, stellar reviews and even stronger word-of-mouth.
This year, only a handful of arthouse films have exceeded $20 million, and most of those breakouts — including Neon’s occult-tilted thriller “Longlegs” ($74 million domestically, $126 million globally), A24’s dystopian “Civil War” ($68 million domestically, $126 million globally), Cineverse’s ultra-gory slasher “Terrifier 3” ($53 million domestically, $82 million globally) and A24’s tear-jerker “We Live in Time” ($21.8 million domestically, $24 million globally) — were geared toward younger or horror-loving crowds.
“It’s been a tough road of late for adult-skewing films in the theatrical marketplace,” says box office analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations. “So it’s a welcome sight to see a film like ‘Conclave’ break through the sequel and slasher noise and make its mark in movie theaters.”
Other than “Conclave,” this year’s crop of Oscar hopefuls hasn’t resonated at the box office, though several contenders like Searchlight’s Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” with Timothee Chalamet and A24’s historical epic “The Brutalist” haven’t been released yet. Mubi’s Hollywood aging satire “The Substance” has faired the best with $16.2 million domestically and $51 million globally. Neon’s Palme d’Or-winning comedic drama “Anora” started spectacularly in limited release, but has since stalled with $10.5 million domestically and $19.6 million globally, while A24’s “Sing Sing” tapped out with just $2.4 million domestically and $2.9 million globally. There’s also Searchlight’s road-trip drama “A Real Pain,” starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, which just crossed $3 million after three weeks (two of which were playing only in limited release).
Other post-pandemic specialty successes include a smattering of 2023 releases, including Searchlight’s absurdist “Poor Things” ($34.5 million domestically, $117 million globally), Amazon MGM’s inspirational sports drama “The Boys in the Boat” ($52 million domestically, $55 million globally), the Focus Features Paul Giamatti-led dramedy “The Holdovers” ($20 million domestically, $45 million globally), A24’s biopic “Priscilla” ($20.9 million domestically, $33 million globally), as well as A24’s Oscar-winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once” ($77 million domestically, $129 million globally), which opened in 2022.
Unlike most of those films, Focus Features opted to not deploy a platform release — a method that’s used primarily for indie films as a tool to build awareness. That tried-and-true approach hasn’t been reliable since COVID because older crowds, who are typically the target demo for these films, weren’t returning to theaters as early and as often as younger patrons. In the case of “Conclave,” Focus felt the film was commercial enough to open nationwide from the jump. The movie debuted to $6.6 million from 1,753 North American theaters, a decent though not remarkable start. Yet ticket sales barely declined in subsequent weeks, with “Conclave” adding an additional $5 million from 1,796 theaters in its second weekend, $4.1 million from 2,283 theaters in its third and $2.8 million from 2,377 theaters in its fourth. So far, nearly 50% of ticket buyers have been above the age of 55. That’s a higher percentage than other recent specialty fare like “The Bikeriders” (18% over 55) and “We Live in Time” (6% over 55).
“When we saw ‘Conclave,’ we thought the best marketing was the movie itself and we didn’t need to spoon feed it to the public,” says Lisa Bunnell, head of distribution at Focus Features. “Platform releases have been hit or miss, and we felt there was no need for it. We knew it was going to be a crowd pleaser.”
That crowd-pleasing aspect is vital because positive reviews aren’t enough these days to fill seats at multiplexes. Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini star in the PG-rated “Conclave,” a story about jockeying that takes place as cardinals from around the world gather to select the Catholic Church’s new leader. The film was roundly embraced by critics, with Variety’s Peter Debruge praising it as a “thinking man’s thriller.” But more pointedly, audiences have been enthusiastic in not just watching “Conclave” on the big screen, but recommending that friends do the same.
“It shows how powerful word of mouth can be,” Bock says. “Films aimed at adults not only have to receive top stellar reviews, but high recommendations these days to stay afloat past the first week.”
Bunell believes the subject matter — she likens the enigma around all things papal to the global intrigue of the royal family — made “Conclave” the movie to see… and helped it stick around beyond opening weekend. She also pointed to pent-up demand for smart dramas with commercial appeal.
“There’s been an absence of good adult dramas aimed toward older crowds. Getting the 55 and older crowd is rare at this point,” says Bunnell. “This has given all of us faith and hope we can continue to make them.”
