The Pope's Exorcist | |
---|---|
Directed by | Julius Avery |
Screenplay by | |
Story by |
|
Based on | An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories by Father Gabriele Amorth |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Khalid Mohtaseb |
Edited by | Matt Evans |
Music by | Jed Kurzel |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 minutes [1] |
Countries |
|
Language | English |
Budget | $18 million [3] |
Box office | $77 million [4] [5] |
The Pope's Exorcist is a 2023 supernatural horror film directed by Julius Avery from a screenplay by Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos, based on the 1990 book An Exorcist Tells His Story and the 1992 book An Exorcist: More Stories by Father Gabriele Amorth. [6] The film stars Russell Crowe as Amorth, with Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, and Franco Nero in supporting roles.
Production began in 2020 when Screen Gems purchased the rights to Amorth's story. After a directorial replacement and script revisions, filming occurred in Ireland from August to October 2022.
The Pope's Exorcist was released in several countries beginning on April 5, 2023, and in the United States on April 14. [7] The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $77 million worldwide.
In 1987, Father Gabriele Amorth, the Pope's personal exorcist, an earthy, scooter-riding, humorous, practical man, visits an Italian village where a man is seemingly possessed by a demon. With the local priest, Amorth enters the room where the man is tied up. While exorcising him, using a Saint Benedict Medal sacramental, Amorth taunts the demon, challenging it to possess a pig; when it does, the pig is killed with a shotgun.
This incident gets Amorth in trouble with a Church tribunal. Amorth replies that evil does exist and that he did not perform an actual exorcism but rather, some psychological theater to help the mentally ill man. Disgusted, Amorth walks out of the tribunal.
The Pope assigns Amorth to visit a possessed boy named Henry in Spain. Henry, his mother Julia, and his teenage sister Amy had traveled from America to take possession of an old Spanish abbey, Julia's husband's sole bequest to his family after he died in a car accident where Henry was present. The traumatized Henry has not spoken since the accident. Following a sinister fire, workers, who were restoring the abbey so the family could sell it, are injured and leave. Henry starts behaving bizarrely; serum chemistry panels and MRI show nothing abnormal.
Henry requests a priest; the local Father Tomas Esquibel arrives, but Henry obscenely derides him. Amorth arrives and meets Henry, who taunts him with memories of World War II. Amorth advocates the importance of prayer, though Esquibel makes mistakes as an assistant exorcist, including strangling Henry when Henry antagonizes him, mocking him for his sins.
The duo attempt to exorcise Henry, without success. Henry's demon even possesses Amy at times. Amorth finds Julia has not been a religious believer since childhood. Still, he convinces her to pray after she reveals that she believed that her guardian angel helped her in her youth.
In Rome, the Pope becomes ill while reading documents about the Spanish case and is hospitalized. Amorth finds a well on the abbey grounds going down to a complex sealed off by the Church as demonically dangerous. He learns that a founder of the Spanish Inquisition, an exorcist, was possessed, and left to die in a cage buried underground. Amorth also finds the Church covered this up and eventually discovers the name of Henry's demon, Asmodeus, which will assist the exorcism.
Amorth and Esquibel participate in the sacrament of Confession and Absolution, mutually confessing and absolving each other of their sins: after Amorth, an Italian partisan, survived World War II and vowed to serve God in gratitude, a mentally ill woman asked for Amorth's help, and died by suicide when he did not help her due to his pride; and Esquibel fornicated with a young woman he did not later marry. The two ready themselves; Amorth instructs Esquibel to wear a Miraculous Medal necklace. The exorcism succeeds only when Amorth offers himself to be possessed, which chimes with Asmodeus's previously stating that he wants to destroy Amorth.
Amorth tries to hang himself, but the demon doesn't allow it, preferring that Amorth infiltrate and destroy the Church. However, Esquibel helps Amorth drive away the demon and demonic appearances resembling the two women who troubled the men, successfully banishing Asmodeus back to Hell. The Pope does recover, as does Henry while the Vatican purchases and reconsecrates the abbey.
The triumphant duo visit Rome and find Sullivan has taken leave in Guam, being replaced by Lumumba. Amorth and Esquibel are admitted to a special Church archive; Lumumba tells them they will be visiting 199 other evil sites, [8] with the help of a map Amorth discovered at the abbey, to combat the Devil; Amorth jokes that he and Esquibel are going to Hell.
In October 2020, Screen Gems acquired the rights to the story of Father Gabriele Amorth with Ángel Gómez hired to direct. [12] Chester Hastings and R. Dean McCreary were attached to write the script, while Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, Jeff Katz, and Edward "Eddie" Siebert were set to produce the film. [13] In June 2022, Julius Avery boarded the film as director along with producer Doug Belgrad of 2.0 Entertainment. [14] Subsequent script revisions were provided by Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos, and Chuck MacLean. [15]
In June 2022, Russell Crowe was cast as Amorth. [16] The following month, Alex Essoe and Daniel Zovatto joined the cast. [17] In September, Franco Nero was cast as the Pope, while Laurel Marsden, Cornell S. John, and Peter DeSouza-Feighoney were added to the cast. [10] Ralph Ineson voices the demon. [11]
Principal photography took place from August to October 2022 in Dublin and Limerick, Ireland and Rome, Italy. [18] [19] [20] Scenes were also filmed with Crowe in Trinity College in Dublin. [21]
The Pope's Exorcist was released in India on April 7, 2023. [22] It was released in the United States on April 14, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing. [23]
The film was released on digital formats on May 2, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on June 13. [24] The film was later streamed on Netflix starting August 16, 2023, where it ranked as the number one film in America for nine straight days. [25]
The Pope's Exorcist grossed $20 million in the United States and Canada, and $57 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $77 million. [4] [5]
In the United States and Canada, The Pope's Exorcist was released alongside Renfield , Mafia Mamma , Sweetwater , and Suzume , and was projected to gross between $4–10 million from 3,178 theaters in its opening weekend. [3] [26] The film made $3.5 million on its first day, including $850,000 from Thursday night previews. [27] It went on to debut to $9.2 million, finishing second behind holdover The Super Mario Bros. Movie . [28] [29] The film made $3.3 million in its sophomore weekend (dropping 63%), finishing in seventh. [30]
In other territories, the film was released a week ahead of its U.S. debut, grossing $12 million from 43 markets. [31] In its second weekend, the film expanded to 51 markets, earning $10.4 million. [32] The Pope's Exorcist grossed $5.7 million from 53 markets in its third weekend. [33]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 51% of 106 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.1/10.The website's consensus reads: "Dominus Crowe! The Pope's Exorcist is standard-issue holy horror in most respects, but its star's sanctified performance will be the answer to some viewers' prayers." [34] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [35] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B-" on an A+ to F scale, [29] while those polled by PostTrak gave the film a 79% positive score. [28]
Tamlin Magee at The Guardian noted, "Most professions are flattered by the attentions of Hollywood. Yet a body representing the real-life practitioners depicted in new Russell Crowe horror The Pope's Exorcist have condemned the film as 'unreliable … splatter cinema'. ... In a statement issued last month, the International Association of Exorcists (IAE) called the title of the film 'pretentious' and claimed that its Da Vinci Code-esque conspiratorial plot poses 'unacceptable doubt' to the public as to who 'the real enemy is, the devil or ecclesiastical power'." [36]
Paul Asay at Plugged In , a Christian film review publication, praised the film for its themes of sacrifice and extolling the virtue of love; he wrote that The Pope's Exorcist "may actually plant seeds of spiritual growth in the lives of some". [37]
Crowe's performance has received mixed reviews from critics. Chris Vognar of Rolling Stone positively reviewed his performance, writing that "Crowe brings an imposing physicality and winking charm to go with Amorth's gravity." [38] Kayleena Pierce-Bohen of Screen Rant was similarly positive, writing that "even if he's in something subpar, his screen presence is undeniable." [39] However, several reviewers, including Pierce-Bohen and Luke Thompson of A.V. Club, criticized Crowe's Italian accent. [39] [40]
Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Raspberry Awards | March 9, 2024 | Worst Actor | Russell Crowe | Nominated | [41] |
Worst Supporting Actor | Franco Nero | Nominated | |||
Irish Film & Television Awards | 20 April 2024 | Best Costume Design | Lorna Marie Mugan | Nominated | |
Best Hair & Make-Up | Orla Carroll and Lynn Johnston | Won |
In April 2023, a sequel was announced to be in early development. Crowe is expected to reprise his role. [42]
In May 2024, The Pope's Exorcist 2 was greenlit but no cast have yet confirmed their return. [43]
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealand-born Australian actor. Crowe was born in Wellington, spending ten years of his childhood in Australia, and residing there permanently by the age of 21. His work on screen has earned him various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a British Academy Film Award.
Gabriele Amorth was an Italian Catholic priest of the Paulines and an exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. Amorth, along with five other priests, founded the International Association of Exorcists.
The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair, and follows the demonic possession of a young girl and the attempt to rescue her through an exorcism by two Catholic priests.
The Catholic Church authorizes the use of exorcism for those who are believed to be the victims of demonic possession. Initial guidelines were issue in 1614. In Roman Catholicism, exorcism is a sacramental but not a sacrament, unlike baptism or confession. Unlike a sacrament, exorcism's "integrity and efficacy do not depend ... on the rigid use of an unchanging formula or on the ordered sequence of prescribed actions. Its efficacy depends on two elements: authorization from valid and licit Church authorities, and the faith of the exorcist." The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism."
Russell Crowe is an actor. He gained international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 epic historical film Gladiator, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor. Crowe's other performances include tobacco firm whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand in the drama film The Insider (1999) and mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. in the biopic A Beautiful Mind (2001). He has also starred in films Romper Stomper with Daniel Pollock (1992), The Quick and the Dead with Sharon Stone (1995), L.A. Confidential with Guy Pearce (1997), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World with Paul Bettany (2003), Cinderella Man with Renée Zellweger (2005), 3:10 to Yuma with Christian Bale (2007), American Gangster with Denzel Washington (2007), State of Play with Ben Affleck (2009), and Robin Hood with Cate Blanchett (2010).
The Water Diviner is a 2014 drama film starring and directed by Russell Crowe, in his directorial debut, and written by Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight. The film follows an Australian farmer, Joshua Connor (Crowe), who travels to Turkey soon after World War I to find his three sons who never returned. It also stars Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney, Cem Yılmaz, Yılmaz Erdoğan, and Jacqueline McKenzie.
The Flash is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash. Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and a story by Joby Harold and the writing team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, it is the 13th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Ezra Miller stars as Barry, who travels back in time to prevent his mother's death and becomes stranded in an alternate past. Sasha Calle also stars in her film debut, alongside Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.
The Nice Guys is a 2016 American neo-noir buddy action comedy film directed by Shane Black, who co-wrote the screenplay with Anthony Bagarozzi. The film stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the title roles, with Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, and Kim Basinger appearing in supporting roles. Set in 1977 Los Angeles, the film focuses on private eye Holland March (Gosling) and tough enforcer for hire Jackson Healy (Crowe) who team up to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl (Qualley).
Christopher McKay, is an American filmmaker and animator. He is best known for directing and editing three seasons of Robot Chicken and two seasons of Moral Orel. He made his feature directorial debut with The Lego Batman Movie (2017), and has also directed The Tomorrow War (2021) and Renfield (2023).
Daniel Zovatto Blanco is a Costa Rican and American film and television actor. Since 2012, he has starred in films of the horror genre, Beneath (2013), It Follows (2014), and Don't Breathe (2016), The Pope's Exorcist (2023), Woman Of The Hour (2024) as well as the romantic comedy Laggies (2014). Zovatto made his television debut in 2014, guest starring in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He has since held recurring roles as Gideon LeMarchal in Revenge (2014), and Jack in Fear the Walking Dead (2016). In 2018, he appeared in one of the lead roles in HBO's Here And Now, and a year later, he was cast in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels as the series protagonist, which premiered in 2020.
The Conjuring Universe is an American horror franchise and shared universe centered on a series of supernatural horror films. The franchise is produced by New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The films present a dramatization of the supposed real-life adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent yet controversial cases of haunting. The main series follows their attempts to assist people who find themselves harassed by spirits, while the spin-off films focus on the origins of some of the entities the Warrens have encountered.
The Nun is a 2018 American gothic supernatural horror film directed by Corin Hardy and written by Gary Dauberman, from a story by Dauberman and James Wan. It serves as a spiritual spin-off to The Conjuring 2 and is the fifth installment in The Conjuring shared universe. The film stars Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir and Jonas Bloquet, with Bonnie Aarons reprising her role as the Demon Nun, an incarnation of Valak, from The Conjuring 2. The plot follows a Roman Catholic priest and a nun in her novitiate as they uncover an unholy secret in 1952 Romania. It is followed by a sequel The Nun II, released in 2023.
Julius Avery is an Australian filmmaker. His credits include Son of a Gun (2014), Overlord (2018) and The Pope's Exorcist (2023).
The Exorcism is a 2024 American supernatural horror film starring Russell Crowe as Anthony Miller, an actor whose deteriorating mental state on a horror movie set causes his daughter Lee to suspect either his former addictions or a more sinister cause. It is directed by Joshua John Miller, from a script he co-wrote with M. A. Fortin. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg, Adrian Pasdar, and David Hyde Pierce.
2023 in film is an overview of events, including award ceremonies, festivals, a list of country- and genre-specific lists of films released, and notable deaths. Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Studios celebrated their 100th anniversaries this year. The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Barbie were the only two movies that made $1 billion in 2023. Full River Red and The Wandering Earth 2 did not have a global theatrical release but are still included on the list.
Renfield is a 2023 American action comedy horror film directed by Chris McKay and written by Ryan Ridley, based on a story by Robert Kirkman, who also served as a producer alongside McKay, Samantha Nisenboim, David Alpert, and the duo of Bryan and Sean Furst. Inspired by characters from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and its 1931 feature film adaption, the film stars Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, and Nicolas Cage.
The Exorcist: Believer is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by David Gordon Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Sattler from a story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Green. The sixth installment in The Exorcist franchise, it serves as a direct sequel to The Exorcist (1973). The film stars Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O‘Neill in her film debut, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, and Ann Dowd. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair reprise their roles from the original film. Its plot follows a photographer who must confront the nadir of evil when his daughter and her best friend are possessed.
Love Again is a 2023 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by James C. Strouse. It is an English-language remake of the 2016 German film SMS für Dich, itself based on a novel by Sofie Cramer. The film stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, and Celine Dion, in her first feature film, portraying a fictionalized version of herself.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a 2023 American animated adventure comedy film based on Nintendo's Mario video game franchise. Produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination, and Nintendo, and distributed by Universal, it was directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and written by Matthew Fogel. The ensemble voice cast includes Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Fred Armisen. The film features an origin story for the brothers Mario and Luigi, Italian-American plumbers who are separated after being transported to another world and become entangled in a battle between the Mushroom Kingdom, led by Princess Peach, and the Koopas, led by Bowser.
Laurel Marsden is an American actress, known for her role as Zoe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries Ms. Marvel.