Al Pacino and Dan Stevens play a pair of troubled priests in an upcoming exorcism horror film titled “The Ritual”…
Oscar winner Al Pacino hasn’t done a lot of horror during his iconic career but he’ll add a scary movie to his resume with his next project titled “The Ritual” where he’ll star alongside Dan Stevens.
The upcoming exorcism horror film is expected to be released in 2025 from a script by David Midell and Enrico Natale with Midell also no board to direct the project.
“The Ritual” is based on a true story with a story that follows two priests — one questioning his faith (Stevens) and one reckoning with a troubled past (Pacino) — who must put aside their differences to save a possessed young woman through a difficult and dangerous series of exorcisms. The film is describred as an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms. Her case remains one of the most thoroughly researched possessions and exorcisms in American history.
In 2016, a British produced film called “The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund” was released, which was also based around the same case study.
Of course getting Pacino on board for a horror film is always a bonus considering he hasn’t dabbled in the genre very much during his career. Perhaps his best role that touches horror came in 1997 when he starred opposite Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron in “The Devil’s Advocate.”
In that film, Pacino played the Devil so it will be quite a difference this time around playing a priest in “The Ritual.”
As for Stevens, he’s well versed in the horror and science fiction genre just recently starring in the “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire” as well as “Abigail,” which is in theaters now.
There’s no word yet when exactly production will begin but with the film expected to be released sometime in 2025, it seems likely that cameras will start rolling before the end of the year.
H/T: Variety
