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First teaser poster: Al Pacino and Dan Stevens are exorcists in “THE RITUAL”

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 | News

By MICHAEL GINGOLD

The religious chiller is coming next Easter.

XYZ Films has issued a teaser poster for THE RITUAL, coming exclusively to theaters April 18, 2925. Directed by David Midell from a script he wrote with Enrico Natale, it stars Al Pacino, Dan Stevens (pictured above in ABIGAIL), Ashley Greene and Abigail Cowen. The synopsis: “Based on true events, 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. The film is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms. Her case remains the most thoroughly documented exorcism in American history.”

“David Midell’s grounded aesthetic is terrifying, authentic and leaves you incredibly uneasy that these events actually happened,” say XYZ’s partners in a joint statement.

Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold (RUE MORGUE's Head Writer) has been covering the world of horror cinema for over three decades, and in addition to his work for RUE MORGUE, he has been a longtime writer and editor for FANGORIA magazine and its website. He has also written for BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH, SCREAM, IndieWire.com, TIME OUT, DELIRIUM, MOVIEMAKER and others. He is the author of the AD NAUSEAM books (1984 Publishing) and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES (FAB Press), and he has contributed documentaries, featurettes and liner notes to numerous Blu-rays, including the award-winning feature-length doc TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF "SPOOKIES" (Vinegar Syndrome).