With Focus Feature's Conclave trailer waves online, here are a number of spoilers to expect based on Robert Harris's book of the same name.
First released in 2016, the novel Conclave explores the political and mysterious machinations of a fictional 118-member papal conclave needing to elect the pope's successor following his death.
The upcoming movie of the same name stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini and is set to debut on November 1.
Character Spoilers From the Conclave Novel
Cardinal Lomeli
After the pope dies, Cardinal Lomeli, the novel's narrator, is tasked with organizing the election of a new pope (aka the conclave), all while dealing with his own crisis of faith and real-world threats that influence the secretive process from the outside.
But that's not all Lomeli is tasked with. An effort to show his own neutrality amidst the political jockeying results in him being viewed as a potential contender for pope.
Throughout the book and its drama, he's forced to examine himself, his ambitions, and ultimately his belief about whether to write down his own name.
Cardinal Benitez
Joining the conclave by surprise is newcomer Cardinal Benitez who was created "in pectore" (aka "in secret") right before the pope's death and who's now entered the political fray.
In contrast to other papal contenders, like Cardinal Tedesco, Cardinal Bellini, the questionable Cardinal Adeyemi, and ambitious Cardinal Tremblay, Benitez is sincere in faith, like Lomeli.
However, the newcomer is wary concerning questions about his health and makes it known to Lomeli that he's voted him for pope on every ballot.
The Pope
Despite being a deceased character, the former pope's past actions are active contributors to present events and in narrowing down candidates for the next pope.
The fact he died suddenly and without warning adds to the mystery and paranoia, as well as his reluctance to speak openly with Lomeli in the final months of his life.
There's also the whistleblower's claim that the pope demanded the resignation of a current conclave contender mere hours before he died.
It's later revealed, both in the book and the newly released trailer, that the pope hid files in his bedposts which ultimately confirmed Cardinal Tremblay was buying votes.
Lomeli, along with Sister Agnes, ultimately photocopy the evidence for every individual cardinal.
The Ending of Conclave Novel Explained
After various favorites rise and fall and multiple ballots are called for and counted, the ending of the book reveals that Cardinal Benitez is chosen but is unknowingly the first female pope.
Benitez was born female but with a genetic disorder that resulted in her gender being misidentified for years. Various clues are dropped along the way, including Benitez not needing a razor and a certain clinical appointment that the pope arranged.
But that's not all. An additional ending surprise is Cardinal Lomeli's decision not to reveal Benitez's gender to this male-dominated hierarchy.
Will the Conclave Movie Follow the Book?
Certain scenes from the new Conclave trailer are seemingly lifted from Robert Harris' novel, as are certain characters.
For instance, the trailer shows the sequestering of the 118 cardinals, the political intrigue and pressure that ensues, and even a glimpse of the terrorist attack from the book.
Also, as previously mentioned, footage shows the discovery of the pope's files hidden in the bedposts of his bed.
Characters including Cardinal Tremblay, played by John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci as Bellini, and Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes are shown in multiple shots as well.
However, one notable difference between the film and the book is that the leading character Cardinal Lomeli has been renamed Cardinal Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes.
Given this change and the fact that Conclave is a film adaptation, readers should expect additional adjustments to characters and the plot itself.
Check out the full trailer below:
Conclave arrives in theaters on November 1.
Check out more articles focused on spoilers based on books:
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