Russell Crowe is stepping over to the dark side and has joined the cast for the supernatural thriller ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’
Crowe will take on the character of the real-life figure Father Gabriele Amorth, a priest who acted as a chief exorcist of the Vatican and who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime. (He passed away in 2016 at the age of 91.) Amorth wrote two memoirs — An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories — and detailed his experiences battling demons that had clutched people in their evil.
‘Overlord’ helmer Julius Avery will direct the feature while Scott Strauss, Michael Bitar and Giselle Johnson are overseeing the project for Screen Gems.
“It’s been a goal of mine to work with Russell,” said Avery in a statement. “To collaborate with him on the amazing Pope’s Exorcist is truly a dream come true.”
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Producing are Doug Belgrad via his 2.0 Entertainment as well as Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, who produces via his shingle, Jesus & Mary, Loyola president Eddie Siebert and Jeff Katz of Worldwide Katz.
Crowe has recently wrapped on his role in in Sony’s Marvel movie ‘Kraven the Hunter’ and will next be seen as Zeus in Taika Waititi’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’
