Movies, AntaraNews – Based on the real files of Vatican exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, The Pope’s Exorcist stars Russell Crowe as this priest as he investigates a young boy’s possession and uncovers “an age-old conspiracy which the church has attempted to conceal”.
Directed by Julius Avery, this film earned over 76 Million worldwide on an $18 Million budget.
Producer The Pope’s Exorcist 2 Jeff Katz has revealed that a sequel to the 2023 Russell Crowe-led supernatural thriller is officially in the works
After its successful debut at theaters and streaming platform Netflix last year, The Pope’s Exorcist appeared to hit an emotional cord among audiences. So much so, Screen Gems announced today it is moving forward with plans for a sequel film.
Russell Crowe played real-life Vatican priest Father Gabriel Amorth, an expert in demonic possession. Directed by Julius Avery (Overlord), this movie was loosely inspired by actual files from the Church’s chief exorcist and followed Amorth as he journeys to an abandoned abbey in Spain, hoping to exorcise an evil child there.
Though the movie didn’t reinvent the wheel, it did meet audience expectations, which may have been enough to warrant a sequel. With Crowe set to star in another exorcism-related film this summer, his reputation in this genre seems set to increase significantly.
Starring Alex Essoe and Peter DeSouza-Feighoney
Russell Crowe stars as real-life Vatican priest Father Gabriele Amorth, an esteemed exorcist of his day who performed thousands of exorcisms that he recorded in two books titled An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories.
Amorth travels to an ancient abbey in Spain in order to investigate a young girl’s terrifying possession and unearths an age-old conspiracy that the church has attempted to cover up for years.
Amorth joins forces with Fr. Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), an assistant bishop’s assistant who enjoys reading his books, to take on an ancient abbey’s demon called Asmodeus and drive him back into hell. Together they battle the powerful creature for control of its power before finally exiling Asmodeus back to where he belongs in hell.
The film also stars Laurel Marsden as the girl possessed by an exorcism ritual and Peter DeSouza-Feighoney as Henry, Julia’s son. Cornell S. John plays an influential Cardinal who questions Amorth about his past exorcism efforts that lead to an innocent woman’s death.
Directed by Daniel Zovatto
While the first film earned over $72 million worldwide against an $18 million budget, it lacked critical praise necessary for becoming a franchise. That may change with Daniel Zovatto (Midnight Mass, Into the Dark). Daniel will direct its sequel.
The film follows Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist for the Vatican. Drawing upon real Vatican files, Amorth investigates an outbreak of terrifying possession among children before uncovering an age-old Catholic conspiracy which has been carefully hidden away for years.
Russell Crowe stars as Amorth, who receives an order from Pope Leo XIII to visit an abandoned Spanish abbey where an American boy, Henry has become possessed. Amorth joins forces with Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto) to begin working against Asmodeus; eventually it turns out he has 199 burial sites worldwide that need exploring as well. The film ends with Amorth visiting these locations as promised in its ending credits scene.
Produced by Michael Patrick Kaczmarek
When a film purports to depict the true life adventures of a Vatican priest who conducted exorcisms for decades, one might expect it to go deeper than your typical horror flick. Unfortunately, The Pope’s Exorcist fails to do that and instead simply scratches the surface while reinforcing tired horror tropes.
Julius Avery (Overlord) directs this supernatural thriller starring Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth, Rome’s chief exorcist from 1986 until his death in 2016 and author of two memoirs detailing his experiences battling demonic forces. In The Pope’s Exorcist, Amorth is sent on an investigation for a young boy’s possession by demonic forces; upon doing so he uncovers an age-old Church conspiracy which they attempt to conceal from public view.
Amorth and Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), along with American Julia’s former husband Henry who exhibits signs of demonic possession. Amorth calls upon local priests for assistance during an exorcism process that also features Franco Nero, Laurel Marsden, Alex Essoe and Cornell S. John as actors; Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos wrote the screenplay while Doug Belgrad, Michael Patrick Kaczmarek Jeff Katz as producers alongside Loyola Productions Eddie Siebert himself as producers.