Al Pacino Returns to Horror with Movie "The Ritual"

Hollywood icon Al Pacino is making his comeback to the horror genre with the exorcism movie “The Ritual” from director David Midell.

XYZ Films has acquired worldwide rights to the pic, with plans to release it theatrically in 2025 and arrange international distribution at the upcoming Cannes market.

“The Ritual” was scripted by Midell and Enrico Natale and produced by Andrew Stevens, Mitchell Welch and Natale. 

Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, and Abigail Cowen round out the cast.

Based on a true story, “The Ritual” follows two priests — one questioning his faith (Stevens) and one reckoning with a troubled past (Pacino) — who must put aside their differences to save a possessed young woman through a difficult and dangerous series of exorcisms. 

The pic is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms. 

The case remains the most thoroughly documented exorcism in American history.

BondIt Media Capital provided financing for the project, with Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, and Tyler Gould for BondIt serving as Executive Producers.

Pacino has multiple projects in the pipeline, including “Modi,” the Johnny Depp-directed biopic of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.