When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, the go-to fictional work for Vatican intrigue was "The Godfather Part III." The final film in Francis Ford Coppola's crime saga drew inspiration from the sudden (some say suspicious) death of the newly elected Pope John Paul I in 1978, as well as the Banco Ambrosiano scandal of the early 1980s. There was nothing suspicious about Pope Francis' selection as the head of the Catholic Church, but the funny-hatted fellas can serve for decades (Pope John Paul II held this holiest of holy positions for 27 years). So, when there's a new election, it's fun to dive into dark papal intrigue.

For whatever reason, though, there has been a surge in Pope fiction over the last 12 years. When Pope Francis fell ill earlier in 2025, there was likewise a renewed interest in Edward Berger's critically acclaimed film adaptation of Robert Harris' novel "Conclave." Suddenly, a...