Sony Pictures and Screen Gems have released the first official trailer for upcoming supernatural horror movie, The Pope's Exorcist, which stars Russell Crowe (Gladiator, LA Confidential) as real-life holy man Father Gabriele Amorth, “the legendary Italian priest who performed over 100,000 exorcisms for the Vatican.”
Supposedly based on Amorh's actual files, if what we see in this insanely over-the-top teaser is any indication, we're in for a crazy - if not particularly original - ride.
In the movie, Amorth is called in to investigate a case of demonic possession in a young boy, only to discover that the demon in question asked for him specifically.
Amorth, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 91, claimed to have encountered all manner of inexplicable supernatural phenomena over the course of his career. Whether he was telling the truth is obviously up for debate, but something tells us this movie took just a few liberties with his story!
Overlord director Julius Avery is helming the movie from a screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos, with revisions by Chuck MacLean.
The Exorcist director William Friedkin recounted the priest's tale in the recent documentary The Devil and Father Amorth, which is now available on various VOD outlets.