Movies

‘Twilight’ Author’s Alien Invasion Finds ‘Host’

Published

13 years ago

June 20, 2011

Open Road Films is in talks to acquire domestic rights to Stephenie Meyer’s pic The Host, one of the hot titles at this year’s Cannes market, reports Variety.

Pic, from “The Twilight Saga” scribe and toplining Saoirse Ronan, is eyeing a January start date.

Helmed by Andrew Niccol (who also adapted the screenplay of Meyer’s tome), “The Host,” published in 2008, “revolves around the takeover of Earth by an alien race known as Souls.”

Open Road was founded as a joint venture earlier this year by AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment Group; Tom Ortenberg came onboard two months ago as CEO. Distrib, which announced its acquisition of “Killer Elite” in Cannes, will pursue mid-range-budgeted pics pegged for nationwide rollouts.

Movies

Dan Stevens and Al Pacino Starring in Exorcism Horror Movie ‘The Ritual’

Published

1 hour ago

April 23, 2024

John Squires

Pictured: Dan Stevens in 'The Guest'

Dan Stevens is everywhere lately, from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire to Abigail and the upcoming Cuckoo. We’re not complaining. Up next? He’s starring in horror movie The Ritual.

Al Pacino and Dan Stevens have both joined the cast of the upcoming exorcism horror movie from XYZ Films and director David Midell, Variety reports this afternoon.

Based on a true story, the film “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.”

Variety details, “The film is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms. Her case remains the most thoroughly documented exorcism in American history.”

David Midell and Enrico Natale wrote the screenplay for The Ritual.

XYZ Films is planning to release the horror film theatrically in 2025.