A jubilant Michael Jackman took the stage alongside Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini in London on Sunday as their film, Conclave, claimed the top prize at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs).
The papal thriller, which delves into the intrigue surrounding the election of a new pope, was named Best Film, marking a major milestone in Jackman’s eventful awards season.
After months of attending film festivals and ceremonies, the Westfield, New Jersey-based producer is savoring the moment—when he’s not traveling, he’s at home in the Garden State.
Jackman, who produced Conclave, spoke with NJ Advance Media ahead of the 2025 Oscars, where the critically acclaimed thriller is nominated for eight awards, including Best Picture.
“The Oscar nomination is already a victory,” says Michael Jackman. “I know it sounds cliché, but I truly feel like I’ve won. I’m ecstatic. Lightning has struck. If we actually win the Oscar, that would be even more mind-blowing.”
Fresh off Conclave’s Best Film win at the BAFTAs, where it also claimed Best British Film, the thriller—starring Ralph Fiennes and directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front)—has been on a dominant run this awards season. The film recently won Best Acting Ensemble at the Critics Choice Awards, further solidifying its status as a major contender.
The screenplay, adapted from Robert Harris’ novel by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), has swept Best Adapted Screenplay honors at key precursor events, including the BAFTAs, Critics Choice Awards, and Golden Globes. With its momentum, Straughan is widely expected to take home the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
A Tight Race for Best Picture
Oscar voting closes Tuesday, and Conclave faces tough competition from Anora and The Brutalist—with Anora, directed by New Jersey’s Sean Baker, recently winning Best Feature at the Producers Guild Awards. Still, Jackman remains hopeful.
“Just being part of this awards journey is validation in itself,” he says. “It’s a personal and professional highlight—an incredible experience.”
Jackman is soaking in every moment.
“Being in these rooms with some of the best actors, producers, writers, directors, and cinematographers in the industry—and feeling like we’re all peers—is an amazing feeling,” he shares. “I was in a room with Harrison Ford yesterday. Jodie Foster told me how much she loved Conclave. She went into detail about what she liked, and I just thought, ‘This is incredible. I could walk away right now and feel like I had the best conversation of my career.’”
From New Jersey to Rome
Jackman is no stranger to gripping thrillers—his past work includes Netflix’s The Good Nurse (2022), based on the true story of New Jersey serial killer Charles Cullen.
His filmography also boasts Oscar connections, having produced Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016), which was nominated for Best Picture, and Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), which won Best Original Screenplay. He was also a line producer on Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York (2002), another Best Picture nominee.
Born in New York, Jackman spent part of his childhood in Paramus, New Jersey, before moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts. After stints in Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles, he eventually settled in Westfield, NJ, with his family.
During Conclave’s production, he lived in Rome for six months, working alongside English producers Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell.
How Conclave Came to Life
Ross and Howell optioned Robert Harris’ 2016 novel Conclave after reading just three chapters. They brought in Peter Straughan to adapt the gripping story, which follows a high-stakes papal election under intense secrecy.
Director Edward Berger was approached after his acclaimed work on Showtime’s Patrick Melrose starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Berger, who later won an Oscar for Best International Feature Film with Germany’s All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), was drawn to the project immediately.
“Ed read it, really responded to it, and then it got sent to Ralph Fiennes,” Jackman recalls. “When you have a great script, it opens doors.”
Fiennes signed on to play Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the dean of the College of Cardinals, who must navigate a chaotic, high-stakes conclave as cardinals face pressure both inside and outside their secluded deliberations.
For his gripping performance, Fiennes has earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor—his third after Schindler’s List (1994) and The English Patient (1997).
“There isn’t much Ralph can’t do,” Jackman says. “He’s incredibly talented and fully commits to every role. He chooses parts that truly resonate with him—but honestly, I feel like he could connect with anything.”
With Straughan, Berger, and Fiennes onboard, securing interest in the project was easy. Keeping everyone together for the long haul was the real challenge.
Now, with the Oscars on the horizon, Conclave has one last chance to make history.
