Up Next
If we had £1 for every exorcism film Russell Crowe has starred in the last year, we’d have £2 – which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.
Fresh off his time as Father Gabriele Amorth in The Pope’s Exorcist, Gladiator star Crowe, 60, will once again face off against demons in The Exorcism.
Only this time, he’ll be going meta as he stars as troubled actor Anthony Miller whose mind begins to unravel as he shoots a supernatural film.
As things go from bad to worse, Anthony’s estranged daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins) begins to wonder if her father is slipping back into his addictions, or if something more sinister is at work as she begins to think the film itself is cursed.
The star-studded cast is rounded out by the likes of Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg, David Hyde Pierce, Josh Warren, Adrian Pasdar, and Tracey Bonner, with a first-look trailer giving us a glimpse at the horrors that unfold.
‘Forgive me, father, for I have sinned,’ Crowe’s character says in narration, as we see Anthony flick through pages of a haunting book with the words ‘you will not be saved’ in huge letters across one page.
Anthony arrives on set, where his daughter comes across Blake Holloway (Bailey), being covered in sage smoke. When Lee asks her why, she lets her in on the ominous history behind some of the world’s most iconic horror films.
‘All kinds of messed up things have happened while making movies, like The Omen or The Exorcist,’ she says.
‘And the guy your dad replaced – everything’s cursed,’ she continues, as we see a man fall from the haunted house set.
Anthony proclaims he has to get out of there as unusual things begin to happen to and around him, though Lee puts it down to her father not taking his medication.
She turns to the church for help – but will she be too late? Or will Anthony become a danger to his own child?
It is directed by M. A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller and will be released on June 7 after originally being filmed in 2019.
Miller, the son of Jason Miller who played Father Karras in the iconic possession film The Exorcist, said The Exorcism was inspired by his performance.
‘If that wasn’t haunting enough on its own, my dad never shied away from telling me stories of just how “cursed” the movie was: the mysterious fires that plagued the production, the strange deaths, the lifelong injuries — the list went on and on. The lore of any ‘cursed film’ has captivated me ever since,’ he said.
‘With The Exorcism, we wanted to update the possession movie formula (‘Heroic man rescues woman from forces she’s too weak and simple to battle herself!’) for a world where no one group owns goodness and decency over another,’ he continued. ‘We were gifted with an extraordinary cast and creative team to tell a story about how we’re all vulnerable to darkness, to perpetuating it, if we fail to face our demons.’
This year will also see Crowe swap the big screen for the small stage at Glastonbury after the Hollywood icon quietly confirmed a set at the legendary festival.
He will beheading to Worthy Farm, Somersetwith his band Russell Crowe’s Indoor Garden Party and was announced on the line-up on Friday.
Fans of the New Zealand-born crooner will be able to catch him in the act as he performs an intimate set on the Acoustic Stage on Saturday, June 29.
Sharing the news with his X followers, Russell tweeted: ‘For those of you watching and waiting for tour dates, we will be adding more soon. In the meantime there’s this…,’ referring to a poster that read: ‘We’re playing Glastonbury 2024.’
The Exorcism is released in UK cinemas on June 7.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Elizabeth Hurley was nearly arrested in bonkers scenario with Hugh Grant
MORE : Hollywood legend, 61, is seriously ageing backwards in stunning photo shoot
MORE : Why do people have such a problem with Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner as a couple?
