"The Ritual" Teaser Trailer: Al Pacino Battles Demonic Forces in New Exorcism Thriller with Dan Stevens
Al Pacino stars as real-life Catholic priest Theophilus Riesinger in this new true-story horror thriller about one of the most infamous exorcisms in American history.
Al Pacino will go down as one of the greatest actors in cinematic history. His portrayal of Michael Corleone in The Godfather films alone is enough to place him among the finest of his generation. And at age 84, Pacino has nothing left to prove.
But if his fellow contemporaries like Robert De Niro can appear in a gangster film playing dual roles just for the fun of it, perhaps it’s time for Pacino to step into a role audiences haven’t quite seen him tackle before—like a horror movie. More specifically, an exorcism thriller where he plays a Catholic priest.
From a Godfather battling mob rivals to a man of the cloth battling the devil himself, what a wild and fascinating journey Pacino has been on.
Based on true events, The Ritual is a new religious horror thriller in the same vein as exorcism-themed classics like The Conjuring, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and of course, The Exorcist.
Here, Pacino portrays real-life Roman Catholic priest Theophilus Riesinger, who oversees the harrowing exorcism of a woman in Iowa believed to be possessed by a demonic entity.
The film is inspired by the infamous 1928 case of Emma Schmidt, whose extensive exorcism over several grueling months became one of the most documented possession cases of the 20th century—even earning a profile in a 1936 issue of Time magazine.
Joining Pacino is Dan Stevens (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Abigail) as Father Joseph Steiger, Riesinger’s close collaborator in the ordeal. Abigail Cowen (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) co-stars as Emma, the tormented young woman seeking salvation.
The cast also includes Ashley Greene as Sister Rose and Patricia Heaton as Mother Superior.
Written and directed by David Midell (The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain), The Ritual is set to hit theaters on June 6th.
Watch the newly released teaser trailer above—if you dare.
