Posted in: Casting, Movies | Tagged: al pacino, dan stevens, The Ritual
Horror film The Ritual has added stars Dan Stevens and Al Pacino to its cast. The film will head into produciton soon for a 2025 release.
Article Summary
- Exorcism horror film ‘The Ritual’ is set for a 2025 release with stars Dan Stevens and Al Pacino.
- Directed by David Midell, the script delves into the true story of Emma Schmidt’s US exorcism case.
- ‘The Ritual’ joins a surge of demonic possession films, questioning their impact on modern viewers.
- Stevens and Pacino’s powerhouse acting has the potential to redefine the exorcism genre.
The Ritual is a new exorcism horror film from XYZ Films directed by David Midell. Variety is reporting that Dan Stevens and Al Pacino will co-star in the movie, playing a pair of priests who have to set aside their personal demons to help rid a young woman of hers. Midell and Enrico Natale penned the script. The plan is to get production rolling this year so that they can release this in theaters in 2025. This is based on a true story, a portrayal of the exorcisms performed on Emma Schmidt, the most documented case of exorcism on record in the US.
The Ritual Continues The Current Horror Trend
Here is the logline for the film as told to Variety: “The Ritual” 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.
This continues a trend of 2024 so far that really started in 2023 in horror, and that is the return of the exorcism film. The Pope’s Exorcist, The Exorcist: Believer, Immaculate, The First Omen. Now this and The Exorcism with Russell Crowe…demonic possession is back, people. But should it be? These films all feel the same if you have seen them all, and I am not sure the concept works for a 2024 audience. I saw most of these in theaters, and there were more laughs than screams. That is not a good sign.
These two stars, however, could make things interesting. Stevens has been everywhere lately and plays all sorts of different roles. Pacino can dial things to eleven at the drop of a hat. If anyone can turn The Ritual into a new exorcism classic, it is those two. Will it work? We shall see.
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