Buckle up, because the Vatican’s about to host a drama that could outshine any reality show, and Conclave author Robert Harris is here to hype it up. With the real-life conclave to pick Pope Francis’s successor kicking off May 7, 2025, Harris, whose 2016 novel and Oscar-winning 2024 film Conclave nailed the Vatican’s intrigue, dropped a wild comparison: choosing the next pope is like The Traitors—full of secret alliances, shock twists, and nobody knowing who’ll come out on top. In a juicy Deadline chat, Harris dishes on why this ancient ritual is pure suspense, how his Vatican access shaped his bestseller, and why the world’s eyes are glued to the Sistine Chapel. Get ready for a papal showdown that’s equal parts holy and cutthroat!
The Traitors in Robes: A Game of Trust and Twists
Imagine 135 cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel, sizing each other up like contestants on The Traitors, trying to spot the “traitors” among the “faithful.” That’s how Harris sees the conclave, where electors need a two-thirds vote to crown the 267th pope. “Suddenly everyone swings to one person—you can’t see why, particularly, but it happens,” he told BBC News. It’s a high-stakes gamble where whispers, deals, and gut instincts can flip the script in a heartbeat, producing a surprise pope no one saw coming.
Harris’s novel Conclave, inspired by the 2013 election of Pope Francis, throws readers into this world through Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes in the film), who juggles scandals, secrets, and spiritual crises to pick a new pope. The book’s jaw-dropping twist—an outsider cardinal stealing the throne—mirrors the real-world chaos Harris expects in 2025. With no obvious favorite among heavyweights like Pietro Parolin or Luis Antonio Tagle, he warns, “Anyone who thinks they can predict the outcome of a conclave is a fool.” The Guardian and CNN agree, calling this the most unpredictable conclave yet, with 135 electors from 71 countries, 108 of them Francis appointees, per Vatican News.
Conclave: The Thriller That Predicted the Moment
Talk about timing! The Conclave film, directed by Roland Joffé and starring Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, hit theaters in October 2024, just months before Pope Francis’s death on April 21, 2025. It snagged an Oscar (though Deadline keeps mum on which one) and became a cultural lightning bolt, turning the Vatican’s dusty ritual into a must-see thriller. Harris, a former journalist with a nose for power plays, got rare Vatican access through Francis’s office, even strolling the balcony over St. Peter’s Square. “That experience brought the weight of the papacy to life,” he told Deadline, giving his novel and film a you-are-there vibe.
The film’s buzz has made the real conclave a global obsession. Harris calls the process a “brilliant device” for picking a leader, way better than the UK’s messy elections, which he cheekily says have “not produced very good results.” The conclave’s secrecy—no phones, no outside chatter—forces cardinals to focus, creating a pressure cooker where faith and ambition collide. But Harris isn’t blind to flaws: he finds the ban on women voting or becoming priests “strange,” though he argues it doesn’t break the system’s core magic.
Why The Traitors Vibe Hits So Hard
Harris’s Traitors comparison is pure genius—it makes the conclave feel like a reality show you can’t stop watching. Picture cardinals forming cliques, second-guessing loyalties, and praying for divine hints, all while the world waits for white smoke. This conclave’s the biggest ever, with electors from every corner of the globe, raising the stakes for a curveball pick. Could it be Tagle, the charismatic Filipino? Erdő, the conservative Hungarian? Or an African like Ghana’s Peter Turkson, breaking 1,500 years of tradition? Harris’s point: it’s anyone’s game, just like his fictional Cardinal Benitez, who flips the script in Conclave.
The Traitors vibe also humanizes the cardinals. They’re not just robed elders—they’re players in a divine drama, wrestling with egos, doubts, and hopes for 1.4 billion Catholics. Harris, who’s not Catholic but obsessed with institutions, told The Boston Globe he loves how the conclave reveals “the best and worst of human nature.” That’s what makes Conclave a hit and the real event unmissable—both are about power, faith, and the thrill of not knowing who’ll win.
A Drama for the Ages
Harris’s Conclave isn’t just a book or movie—it’s a window into a ritual that’s shaped history for centuries. The 2025 conclave, unfolding under Michelangelo’s frescoes, will be no different, blending spirituality with strategy in a way that feels ripped from a Hollywood script. The film’s success, with its all-star cast and Joffé’s electric direction, has turned Vatican nerds into Conclave fans, and Harris’s Traitors analogy only amps up the hype. As he puts it, the conclave’s secrecy is its superpower, letting cardinals pick a leader without the world’s noise.
If you loved Conclave’s twists or just crave a front-row seat to history, the 2025 conclave is your Super Bowl. Harris has us hooked, comparing it to a reality show where the prize is the papacy itself. Check Vatican News or The Guardian for live updates as the world holds its breath for the next pope. One thing’s for sure: like The Traitors or Conclave’s wild finale, this election will keep us guessing until the smoke rises. Grab your popcorn—this is one holy thriller you won’t want to miss.
Source: Deadline
