WATCH: ‘The Two Popes’ full trailer is here

MANILA, Philippines – With Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce in starring roles, The Two Popes seems primed to be Netflix’s Oscar bait – and the full trailer, released on the Netflix Philippines website on November 5, only proves it.

The film, which is helmed by City of God director Fernando Meirelles and written by The Theory of Everything‘s Anthony McCarten, is inspired by true events, and takes an intimate look at one of the most dramatic transitions of power within the Vatican in the last 2,000 years.

In the film, we meet a pre-papal Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) in 2012, back when he went by Cardinal Bergoglio.

Frustrated with the direction of the church, he requests for perimission to retire from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins), and in response, Benedict summons Bergoglio to the Vatican to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church.

Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront elements from their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world.

The film has already won several audience awards at various festivals, including the Mill Valley Film Festival, the Hamptons International Film Festival, and the Middleburg Film Festival.

The Two Popes is set to launch on Netflix on December 20. – Rappler.com