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By Jonah Grinkewitz

Like with any major global event today, Pope Francis’ death on Easter Monday has sparked conversation on social media about his impact and legacy.

Alongside tributes to the first Latin American pontiff from politicians, celebrities and others are posts about the impending conclave to select a new pope.

This often humorous and lighthearted content has largely been driven by and from the recent Academy Award-Winning film “Conclave.”

Although fictional, 51��ɫ Dominion University Associate Professor of Media Studies Myles McNutt said the film has expanded many viewers’ insights into an historically secretive process.

“Above all else, viewers of the film now have an imagined set of scenarios that could be playing out, as well as the kind of themes and ideologies that might be driving the decision making,” he said. “Even if we know that what we watch in dramas like this isn't ‘accurate,’ we are naturally drawn to ‘fact-based’ content as a way of understanding the world around us.”

He’s not surprised the film is being used to respond to the next pope discourse — it’s typical of meme culture, especially with the movie’s release so close to the event.

“While some might consider this morbid, ‘Conclave’ demonstrated how procedural the process of selecting a new pope is, and the memes are less about Pope Francis' death and more about the traditionalist system that has subsequently activated, and which fascinated moviegoers and meme-makers alike.”

Earlier in the year, the run-up to the Oscars with Pope Francis’ hospitalization due to bronchitis. McNutt said pop culture generally thrives on its connection to real events — especially during awards season when actors and creatives promote their films across numerous outlets.

“What made this especially true for ‘Conclave’ was that its premise echoes the horse race of Oscar campaigning, making it easy to connect the two together,” he said.

After briefly over the weekend, “Conclave” is now free to stream on Amazon Prime for subscription holders.

“I'd expect the film to make its way into Amazon's Top 10 chart in the weeks ahead,” McNutt said.

“Conclave” is not the only Oscar-nominated film centered on the papacy, though. Viewers can also stream “The Two Popes” on Netflix which focuses directly on Pope Francis’ relationship with former head of the Catholic Church Benedict XVI.