The award-winning movie premiered on national television on Good Friday.
On April 3, the Tagalog-dubbed version of the critically-acclaimed movie Conclave made its premiere on ABS-CBN’s television and digital platforms.
The picture, which is directed by Edward Berger (who is also behind All Quiet on the Western Front) and written by Peter Straughan based on the novel by Robert Harris, revolves around the Papal Conclave—one of world’s most secretive and ancient events when a new Pope is selected.
Starring Ralph Fiennes, alongside Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Carlos Diehz, Lucian Msamati, Brían F. O’Byrne, Merab Ninidze, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini, the film aired at the prime 8:00 to 10:00 pm slot on Good Friday.
The Philippine television premiere, which was only announced more than a week ago, gained reviews from various viewers, with many flocking to online platforms to share their reactions about the story.
Several accounts on X, formerly Twitter, shared clips of scenes that resonated with them, such as the monologue of Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) before the opening of the Conclave itself and the one made by Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) about wars.
Another one that was highlighted by many was the scene where Cardinal Lawrence talked to Cardinal Benitez to talk about his identity shortly before being introduced to the world as the new Pope.
Others, meanwhile, praised the dubbing of the movie, which replaced the English dialogues with Filipino, although retained the Latin and Italian lines as is.
Netizens also reacted to the decision of ABS-CBN to place the film on Good Friday evening, which is regarded as one of the most religious days for the large Catholic denomination, which accounts to approximately 4 out of 5 people, in the Philippines.
In the movie Conclave, as per its producer FilmNation Entertainment, Cardinal Lawrence was tasked to run this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope.
“Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of The Church,” it added.
It gained major accolades in various award-giving bodies throughout the 2025 awarda season, such as eight nominations at the 97th Academy Awards, including the Best Picture, and won in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.