| Leviticus | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Adrian Chiarella |
| Written by | Adrian Chiarella |
| Produced by | Samantha Jennings Kristina Ceyton Hannah Ngo |
| Starring | Joe Bird Stacy Clausen Mia Wasikowska Ewen Leslie Nicholas Hope |
| Cinematography | Tyson Perkins |
| Edited by | Nick Fenton |
| Music by | Jed Kurzel |
Production companies | Causeway Films Salmira Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Leviticus is a 2026 Australian horror film written and directed by Adrian Chiarella and produced by Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton and Hannah Ngo. [1] [2] The film stars Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Ewen Leslie, and Nicholas Hope. It premiered on January 23, 2026 in the Midnight section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. [1]
Set in an isolated, conservative Christian community in regional Victoria, Australia, the story follows two star-crossed teenagers, Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen). As they begin to explore their budding attraction and sexuality, they are discovered by the local pastor.
In an attempt to "cure" them, the boys are subjected to a religious conversion ritual. However, the ritual goes horribly wrong. Instead of "cleansing" them, the ceremony accidentally releases a violent, malevolent entity. This supernatural force is uniquely cruel: it takes the form of the person its victims desire most—which, for Naim and Ryan, is each other.
The boys must go on the run to escape the entity and the religious fanaticism of their town. The film explores the "curse" of desire and the physical and spiritual violence faced by queer youth, serving as a social horror about the dangers of homophobia from both within the community and within oneself.
Leviticus was developed through VicScreen's Originate initiative under the mentorship of script developer Angeli Macfarlane, with writer and director Adrain Chiarella drawing on his background in film editing and his personal experiences to craft a 'queer social horror' inspired by Asian cinema and modern genre classics like It Follows and The Witch . [3] The project received for funding in July 2024 as part of Screen Australia's 2024-25 production slate. [4] It was produced by Causeway Films and Samira Productions. [5] [6]
The film had its world premiere on January 23, 2026 at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section. [1] [5] Shortly after, Neon was reported to be in exclusive talks for worldwide distribution rights excluding Australia and New Zealand to the film in a deal worth $5 million. [7] A day later, Neon officially acquired the rights in a seven-figure deal. [8]