14 DAY TRIAL // Exorcism movies are back: after Eli Roth’s “The Last Exorcism” made a killing at the US box office, fans of the horror genre should brace themselves for another – this time bigger – release: “The Rite” with Anthony Hopkins.
The film doesn’t arrive in theaters until January next year but the first official trailer is already up and getting people talking. As far as trailers go, it seems to have the perfect recipe for success.
For starters, it has “Academy Award Winner” Anthony Hopkins and fans of the actor know what this means: even if the movie is bad, he will certainly give the role his best and put on a stunning performance.
Then, it has death, Satan and possession, all mixed up with a healthy dose of skepticism, just to keep things going. Production on it is certainly top-notch, which is obvious at first glance.
“‘The Rite,’ another ghost exorcism-themed movie, is picked up by Warner Bros. Pictures. The first trailer for the film, which is claimed to be inspired by a true story, is now available for viewing pleasure via Apple after it was debuted during 2010 Scream Awards,” AceShowbiz informs.
There isn’t much else to the plot other than what is being shown in the trailer, but one can imagine that’s not where the strength of the film will be.
“It follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak, who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While in Rome, he meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas, who introduces him to the darker side of his faith,” AceShowbiz says of the synopsis.
“This supernatural thriller uncovers the devil's reach to even one of the holiest places on Earth,” the e-zine further notes.
Alice Braga and Ciaran Hinds are also part of the cast in supportive roles, while Mikael Hafstroem of the “1408” fame is at the helm. The film drops on January 28, 2011.
While Hopkins fans will undoubtedly make sure not to miss “The Rite,” many voices online are saying that one “Exorcist” movie is more than enough – and they’re not referring to the aforementioned Eli Roth-produced flick.
“It still doesn’t look like there’s anything here that we haven’t seen several times recently, and that wasn’t already scarier more than 30 years ago in The Exorcist,” MovieLine says of the trailer.
“Verdict: Pass,” the same e-zine concludes. Check out the video below (or here) to see whether you too will pass on “The Rite.”