Release the white smoke! Academy voters have awarded “Conclave” the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Written by Peter Straughan, adapting a 2016 Robert Harris novel of the same name, the papal election drama has now sweeped just about every major screenplay award it was eligible for, including the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTA Awards, and the USC Scripter Awards.

First premiering at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, the Edward Berger film starring Oscar nominees Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini gained a reputation for being one of the most crowdpleasing watches of 2024. The Focus Features release, which first hit theaters on October 25, 2024, has since been a mainstay in theaters, making nearly $100 million worldwide.

The film adaptation of “Conclave” notably stays very faithful to the book, even sticking to its unpredictable twist ending. Oscar winner Straughan told IndieWire in November 2024 that he took that approach because “the book, it’s very precise and controlled.