"There's confirmed news from the European division of our company…"
In the living room of Wave Manor, Bill Rossis accepted the coffee handed to him by Gal Gadot and continued speaking to Murphy. "Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed his retirement."
"Oh?" Murphy showed interest. "When exactly?"
Bill Rossis set down his coffee cup. "No later than this Wednesday evening, the Vatican will hold a press conference to officially announce the news."
Gal Gadot poured another cup of coffee for Murphy, placing it on the small coffee table in front of him. She then asked Bill Rossis, "Who will succeed him?"
"Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis," Bill Rossis replied.
Murphy scratched his head, not familiar with the name.
"He's from Argentina," Gal Gadot explained, having heard of him. "He was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires."
"And…" Bill Rossis added, "If Benedict XVI represents the conservative faction of the Vatican, Francis is considered a leader of the progressive faction."
Gal Gadot furrowed her brows at this information. "Does that mean the Church is planning some reforms?"
"Even if there are reforms, they will be very limited," Murphy disagreed with Gal Gadot's assumption. "Anyone sitting in the Pope's position must prioritize the interests of the entire Vatican."
Bill Rossis nodded in agreement. "That's correct."
Like the rotating president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, regardless of internal dynamics, the external priority is to safeguard the interests of the Hollywood film industry. Otherwise, the position is untenable.
Murphy speculated that in some respects, the Vatican's governance shares similarities with national politics. For example, the populace often hopes for a leader who represents their voice, but every politician who comes to power primarily protects the interests of the established elite before attending to the rest.
Therefore, regardless of who the new Pope is, the fundamental situation of the Catholic Church will not truly change.
Such internal reforms are often more challenging than those driven by external forces.
Bill Rossis sipped his coffee and continued, "It is said that Francis and Benedict XVI have significant ideological differences. Francis believes that the Church should adopt stricter measures to address internal issues related to the scandals."
"So he's more enlightened than Benedict XVI," Gal Gadot commented.
Murphy chimed in, "The more something is covered up, the more it is prohibited from being discussed, and the more speech is restricted, the more it shows a lack of confidence."
From his previous life experiences, Murphy knew an old saying, "Preventing people from speaking is worse than preventing floods." Although powerful authorities can suppress unfavorable opinions for a time and force many to comply with their will, such repression accumulates and eventually explodes with tremendous force, tearing apart everything they sought to protect.
Since last year, the Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of scandals. Murphy and 20th Century Fox merely initiated the process, and the media and public's subsequent fervent pursuit of the issue was a collective outburst of long-held discontent towards the Church.
This frenzied backlash directly led to the current Pope stepping down.
In the following days, besides continuing his promotional activities for "Spotlight," Murphy made time to keep an eye on developments within the Vatican.
As he expected, the Vatican's dynamics closely mirrored the power shifts within a country's political system.
Suddenly, many European media outlets reported that Pope Benedict XVI's brother, Georg Ratzinger, had led a choir in 1960 that was involved in serious child abuse incidents, which he allegedly covered up. Despite Ratzinger's denial, these scandals once again severely damaged the Catholic Church's image.
Moreover, the Vienna Boys' Choir, later overseen by Ratzinger, also faced abuse allegations, with two former members claiming they were forced to wash their genitals in front of choir administrators between 1985 and 1987.
Anyone with a political sense could see that these accusations were aimed directly at Pope Benedict XVI himself.
Soon, the Vatican held a press conference announcing that Pope Benedict XVI would retire due to health reasons and that the Church would select a suitable successor from among the current cardinals.
This news shook the Western world.
It was evident that health reasons were merely an excuse; the real cause was likely the series of scandals that had surfaced over the past ten months.
Some tabloids, like the British "The Sun," were quick to run sensational headlines such as "Benedict XVI Forced Out by Murphy Stanton and Hollywood Movie."
Murphy ignored such sensationalism, but the news from the Vatican intrigued him.
Though the Vatican had not officially announced it, CAA's information indicated that Francis was already a sure bet for the new Pope. Compared to his predecessor, he seemed more suited to the highly information-driven modern society.
Regarding the criticism the Church faced because of "Spotlight," the Vatican had already begun crisis management.
In a routine press briefing, the Vatican's new spokesperson stated that "Spotlight," which addresses the Church's sexual abuse scandals, faithfully depicts how the Church attempts to defend its position against "harsh truths," but is not overtly anti-Catholic.
Subsequently, numerous mainstream European media outlets published articles defending the Church.
The "Roman Observer" commented: "Not all abusers wear clergy robes, and not all pedophiles come from those who have taken vows of celibacy. What is clear now is that too many within the Church are more concerned about their image than the severity of their actions."
The "Italian News" opined: "As representatives of God, anyone who abuses their power to harm the innocent cannot justify their grievous sins with these excuses, as clearly expressed in the film."
They argued: "The descriptive power of 'Spotlight' itself is convincing; this is not an anti-Catholic movie."
Following this, Francis officially became the new Pope.
In his inaugural address, he declared, "The public still trusts the Catholic Church and the Pope. I am committed to continuing the Church's reform efforts."
Francis announced the establishment of a moral review committee within the Vatican, promising severe punishment for any clergy involved in the abuse of children.
Seeing Francis ascend to the papacy, Murphy lost interest in following the Catholic Church's news. He certainly wouldn't foolishly engage in further public disputes with the Church. "Spotlight" had already garnered widespread attention upon its release, making any additional efforts redundant.
As for the tabloid claims that he and his film forced Benedict XVI to step down, only simple-minded people would believe such stories. It was merely an opportunity seized by those within the Church who differed from Benedict XVI. While Murphy didn't know the full extent of Francis's backing, he understood that without such internal support, Archbishop Marcus Costello would have been enough of a scapegoat.
Only internal forces could breach a fortress as strong as the Catholic Church.
According to CAA and Bill Rossis's predictions, Francis's timing also related to "Spotlight." By positioning the Church more humbly before the film's wider release, it served as an effective public relations strategy.
This also benefited "Spotlight."
On the surface, it appeared that the film had directly influenced a change in the papacy...
A film with enough topicality, excellent reputation, widespread promotional channels, and a strong director's brand would naturally perform well at the box office once its release expanded.
20th Century Fox and Kara Feiss adjusted "Spotlight's" distribution strategy in response to the current social climate. By the second weekend, the film's theater count in North America expanded from 10 to over 1,800.
Within a week, 20th Century Fox had perfectly executed everything from theater arrangements to print preparation, showcasing the unparalleled strength of a major Hollywood studio.
"Spotlight" did not disappoint Murphy or 20th Century Fox.
Despite its subject and genre not aligning with mainstream market preferences, the scandals involving the Catholic Church had captivated North America for ten months, creating a highly favorable market environment for "Spotlight."
Anyone with a basic understanding of the film market knew the significant impact social conditions could have on a film.
On its first expanded release day, Friday, "Spotlight" grossed $9.8 million from North American theaters. On Saturday, the film's box office continued to rise, earning $12.3 million.
Adding Sunday's $9.2 million, "Spotlight" secured $31.3 million in its second weekend, easily claiming the top spot on the North American box office chart.
Including the $1.1 million earned from limited release, the cumulative North American box office reached $32.4 million, soon surpassing its production cost.
Complementing the box office performance was the film's stellar reputation. As its release widened, "Spotlight's" ratings remained consistent across internet platforms, media reviews, professional critiques, and audience opinions.
Such consistency is rare for a film that rapidly expanded its release.
Outstanding box office results and overwhelming acclaim positioned the film as a strong contender for the next Academy Awards.
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