Edward Berger at Cinecittà for ‘Conclave’

The German screenwriter Edward Berger is directing Conclave, a thriller set in the Vatican, at Cinecittà Studios with Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal investigating the death of one pope while managing the election of his successor.  The cast also includes Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow. The story is based on Robert Harris’ novel, with screenplay by Peter Straughan, and was presented at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival market by Film Nation with House Productions and the support of Access Entertainment.

The director is currently up for an Academy Award for the acclaimed All Quiet on the Western Front: the Netflix production based on Erich Maria Remarque’s story about the last days of WWI on the French frontline has won nine nominations including Best Film. The story is told from the perspective of a very young German soldier who enthusiastically leaves for the front only to discover the cost of the dehumanizing effect of war and its dreadful consequences.