Conclave: Choosing a New Pope Is a High Stakes Game in Religious Thriller's Official Trailer

If you thought the search for a new Pope in Angels & Demons was tense, then you ain't seen nothing yet, folks! The Conclave, the ancient and highly secretive election that ultimately chooses a brand new face of the entire Catholic denomination, takes on a fresh coat of intrigue with the official trailer for Focus Features' upcoming religious drama, Conclave (opening exclusively in theaters nationwide October 25).

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Robert Harris (author of Fatherland and Munich), the film stars Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, The King's Man) as Cardinal Lawrence, dean of the College of Cardinals and the man responsible for overseeing the titular process, which appears to be a lot more difficult than one might think.

RELATED: Everything to Know About Conclave, the Papal Thriller Starring Ralph Fiennes

As the world's most powerful Catholic leaders converge upon the Vatican in the hopes of landing the top job — and all the power and influence that comes with it — Lawrence "uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church," teases the official synopsis.

Watch the official trailer for Focus Features' religious thriller, Conclave 

Adapted by screenwriter Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Frank), Conclave was directed by Edward Berger, the filmmaker behind All Quiet on the Western Front, the 2022 Academy Award winner for Best International Feature Film. 

"The mechanism behind the election of a Pope is among the most closely guarded secrets in the world," Berger explains in the production notes. "I was super curious to peek behind those locked doors and find out the details. We can’t know everything, but there are quite a few facts we were able to establish through our research. We feel we got as close to the truth as anyone ever has."

"It’s the age-old story of compromise and the kind of pollution that power can bring with it, battling with integrity and selflessness," adds Straughan. "And all that is situated in a fascinating world that is usually hidden from us. But perhaps most of all I loved the kind of quiet audacity with which [Harris] goes into this most conservative of worlds and sets up a startlingly radical twist."

Who stars in Conclave?

Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence and Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini in director Edward Berger's CONCLAVE. Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features

Conclave features an all-star cast comprised of Ralph Fiennes (Cardinal Thomas Lawrence), Stanley Tucci (Cardinal Bellini), John Lithgow (Cardinal Tremblay), Sergio Castellitto (Cardinal Tedesco), Isabella Rossellini (Sister Agnes), and Lucian Msamati (Cardinal Adeyemi).