Russell Crowe recently played real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth in the supernatural horror film The Pope’s Exorcist, which could turn out to be a franchise starter… but before Crowe made that movie, he made a different supernatural thriller that deals with exorcism. Four and a half years have gone by since it was announced that Crowe had signed on to star in a film that was then known as The Georgetown Project, with Joshua John Miller directing. Now retitled The Exorcism, that film has been acquired by Vertical for a North American theatrical release that’s scheduled for June 7th. The streaming rights are in the hands of Shudder.

Coming our way from Miramax, producer Kevin Williamson, and Outerbanks Entertainment, The Exorcism sees Crowe taking on the role of Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play.

Crowe is joined in the cast by Ryan Simpkins (Fear Street Part Two – 1978), Sam Worthington (Avatar: The Way of Water), Chloe Bailey (Praise This), Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer), David Hyde Pierce (Frasier), Samantha Mathis (Broken Arrow), Tracey Bonner (Creepshow), and Adrian Pasdar (Near Dark).

Miller directed the film from a screenplay he wrote with M.A. Fortin. The duo previously wrote The Final Girls and developed the USA television series Queen of the South. A former actor with several horror credits to his name (including Near Dark), Joshua John Miller also happens to be the son of Jason Miller, who played Father Karras in The Exorcist, a supernatural horror film that was partly filmed in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. So it’s interesting to see that elements of this story reflect Miller’s own life. The Final Girls was also about the child of a popular genre star.

Miller and Fortin had this to say about the distribution deal, “Vertical has been a great partner in helping us complete and realize our vision for this story. Their level of enthusiasm and support are rare to find.”

Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey added, “Joshua has a profound expertise in this genre, and we applaud his creation of a film that reverently nods to classic horror while adding a fresh twist. We want to thank everyone at Miramax for their partnership and are looking forward to bringing the film to theatres nationwide this summer.”

Williamson produced The Exorcism with Ben Fast and Bill Block. Padraic McKinley, Scott Putman, Andrew Golov, and Thom Zadra serve as executive producers.

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