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Tag: daniel-zovatto

  • Kevin Costner to Star in and Co-Write ‘Headhunters’

    Kevin Costner for 'Horizon: An American Saga' at CinemaCon 2024.
    Kevin Costner for ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ at CinemaCon 2024. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Preview:

    • Kevin Costner has co-written and will star in ‘Headhunters.’
    • It’s the story of surfers looking for the perfect wave on an island that has dark secrets.
    • Steven Holleran came up with the idea and is co-writing and directing.

    For a while there, it looked like Kevin Costner might be pulling a James Cameron and devoting himself almost exclusively to working in one cinematic world, as the latter has done with the ‘Avatar’ movies.

    Yet in Costner’s case, the actor/writer/director/producer certainly has not seen the same sorts of financial performance from his own passion project, ‘Horizon: An American Saga.’

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    The Western, for which Costner rounded up much of the financing and starred/produced/wrote/directed, was intended to launch a multi-movie story, but while he’s made at least two more entries, the whole wagon train hit a major bump when the first movie landed in theaters with a thud this past June.

    It earned a paltry $38 million worldwide from a $100 million budget and put plans for the other movies’ releases on hold for now.

    Costner is switching tracks, collaborating with cinematographer Steven Holleran on a new movie called ‘Headhunters,’ which Holleran originated and has co-written with the star.

    Related Article: Every Kevin Costner Movie and TV Western, Ranked

    What’s the story of ‘Headhunters’?

    Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network's 'Yellowstone' season 5.
    Kevin Costner as John Dutton III in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 5. Credit: Paramount Network.

    According to the official logline, ‘Headhunters’ will find Costner as Lazer, a washed-up American ex-pat with a mysterious past who finds himself living in Bali, Indonesia.

    Lazer recruits a group of surfers led by Bima, a local photographer, on a journey to an uncharted island to pioneer a “perfect wave.” To their surprise, the island is home to an ancient tribe of headhunters guarding the land at all costs.

    What ensues is an adventure turned survival story of epic and bloody proportions on a tropical island which once seemed to be paradise… But is actually closer to hell.

    Here’s what Holleran, who will make his directorial debut with the movie, had to say about it:

    “My filmmaking journey got its start in the ocean shooting surf videos in California as a teenager. Twenty years later, ‘Headhunters’ brings things full circle and connects three life-long passions of mine — surfing, filmmaking, and adventure.”

    He’s in pre-production now, with shooting set to start next month in Hawaii.

    Who else is working on ‘Headhunters’?

    Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    Daniel Zovatto, who has been seen in ‘Station Eleven,’ ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ and ‘Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,’ will star alongside Costner.

    And Costner’s Territory Pictures is co-producing the film alongside Scott Steindorff and his Stone Village Films.

    This is what Steindorff had to say about the collaboration:

    “For decades, my friend Kevin and I have been searching for the right project to collaborate on. This is one of the best scripts I have seen in my career. Kevin is a legendary actor who brings so much depth and charisma to his roles and has written an iconic horror script with Steve.”

    When will ‘Headhunters’ be on screens?

    ‘Headhunters’ is currently seeking distribution, so there is no release date information to report yet.

    Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison in New Line Cinema's Western drama 'Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Kevin Costner as Hayes Ellison in New Line Cinema’s Western drama ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Richard Foreman. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Other Kevin Costner Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Kevin Costner Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ Sequel will Happen

    Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    Preview:

    • A sequel to ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ is confirmed.
    • Producer Jeff Katz revealed the news.
    • Russell Crowe is not officially announced yet but is likely to return.

    Possessing the public consciousness thanks to its trailer –– in which Russell Crowe’s character encouraged a panel of stuffy priests to take his actions up with his boss (the Pope!) –– ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ did decent business last year (more than $76.9 million from an $18 million budget).

    Which might explain why plans are now apparently under way for the sequel that some of the movie’s team hinted at when the original came out.

    The news was announced by producer Jeff Katz. Here’s Katz’s social media post making the announcement:

    What was the story of ‘The Pope’s Exorcist?

    Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    Based on the real-life religious figure Father Gabriele Amorth, ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ focuses on Amorth being dispatched by the Vatican to help a young American boy in Spain who has become possessed by a demon.

    But he also ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.

    Crowe’s take on the character was an amusing one –– puttering around on a scooter and making light of demonic threats. But he steps up when needed, putting his life on the line.

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    What will happen in the ‘Pope’s Exorcist’ sequel?

    Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    Russell Crowe (Right) as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    While the ending of the first film certainly teased potential sequels, with Amorth being introduced to a team responding to possessions and other religious mysteries, nothing has been announced about the story for any new movie.

    But here’s what Crowe said to a TV talk show called ‘The Six O’clock Show’:

    “The producers originally got the kick off from the studio not just for one sequel but for two. But there’s been a change of studio heads at the moment, so that’s going around in a few circles. But very definitely, man. We set that character up that you could take him out and put him into a lot of different circumstances. And remember that the man that’s based on, Gabriele Amorth, he wrote twelve books. So we have more than enough source material to do one or two more of those films. But that probably won’t be until next year.”

    Related Article: Russell Crowe Talks ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ and What to Expect from the Film

    Who will appear in ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’?

    Alex Essoe, Russell Crowe and Daniel Zovatto in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Alex Essoe, Russell Crowe and Daniel Zovatto in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    While Crowe would surely return, the rest of the cast at this time is a mystery since it’ll feature a new case. Though we could see Daniel Zovatto once more play Father Esquibel and a potential reappearance of Franco Nero as The Pope. Because after all, without him, the film is just ‘The Exorcist’ and that title has been taken already.

    When will ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ sequel be in theaters?

    Screen Gems has yet to offer its own confirmation of the sequel, and we doubt it would be ready much before 2026 at this point, unless the team has already been at work on the script.

    Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

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    Buy ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ On Amazon

  • Movie Review: ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’

    Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    Russell Crowe (Right) as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    In theaters on April 14th, ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’, directed by Julius Avery, tries to turn a captivating true-life person into a homily-spouting, all-action priest who chuckles in the face of demonic possession. The result is a mess of a movie that is only haltingly entertaining. You’d honestly be better off throwing on William Friedkin’s 1973 iconic ‘The Exorcist’.

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    Is ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ a true story?

    While the movie itself is full of outrageous demonic invention, the titular central priest was indeed a very real man who worked for the Vatican for decades.

    Father Gabriele Amorth, who died (no, not in the middle of a titanic exorcism) in 2016, was an Italian Catholic priest and exorcist of the Diocese of Rome who claimed to have performed tens of thousands of exorcisms throughout his life. Amorth, along with five other priests, founded the International Association of Exorcists. And before he ever joined the priesthood, he was a lawyer, a journalist and a partisan fighter against fascism in the Second World War.

    The movie’s story follows Amorth (Russell Crowe) as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.

    An American family move into a spooky former abbey (which would surely be a giant red flag to a family looking for accommodation). Julia (Alex Essoe) is looking to comfort her kids, Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) and Amy (Laurel Marsden) after the death of their father.

    But grief and trauma has opened a dark doorway for a demon, and Henry is soon going full Regan-from-‘The-Exorcist’, sallow and scarred, spouting Latin insults and digging up secrets from the past he couldn’t possibly know.

    Nervous young priest Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), who doesn’t even know the exorcism rites, let alone what to do with a creature from hell possessing a child, summons Amorth, who quickly figures out that Henry isn’t mentally ill, nor is he making it all up.

    Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    What works about the movie?

    Crowe comes over well, despite some elements of the character that are more humorous than horrifying –– he putters around Rome on a little Vespa scooter, which given his current generous girth and flowing robes, looks more than a little embarrassing.

    But in full flow, his portrayal of Amorth is an entertaining one. Whether it bears any resemblance to the actual exorcist is better answered by people who actually knew, worked with or were helped by him, but in the movie, he aims for a blend of friendly, relatable priest and gruff cop-style figure.

    He’s no fan of bureaucracy, and when brought up in front of a snippy Vatican council about his most recent case (a scene that could have been ripped straight out of a police thriller, with the council demanding that he answer for his actions and he blithely suggesting that if they have a problem with him they can talk to his boss –– yes, the Pope). Add to that his actions later in the film, where he kicks in a door to help a young woman under threat from the demon of the day. Oh, and a moment in the finale where he and Esquibel brandish their crucifixes like guns. It’s certainly a choice, and while Crowe certainly does his best with it, the idea doesn’t do much to help the horror aspect.

    Yet despite all the real-life adventures to draw from, the film instead goes for a souped-up version of Friedkin’s classic, mashing all the standard buttons and resulting in a schlocky horror that hardly feels worthy of Amorth. There’s the gnashing, wailing, growling victim, the priests and family members flung around like ragdolls by supernatural power and even a crucifix slowly grinding upside down on a wall. It’s more likely to provoke eye-rolling than hiding them behind your hands.

    One or two jump scares work, and Avery, (working with cinematographer Khalid Mohtaseb) gives it a certain visual polish. But the story doesn’t do any of their work justice and several of the performances are lacking given their skeletal detail in the script.

    Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    Related Article: Russell Crowe Talks ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ and What to Expect from the Film

    ‘Da Vinci Code’ descent

    And while we won’t spoil how it all shakes out, the movie (written by Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos from a story by R. Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings and Jeff Katz) switches tracks from ‘The Exorcist’ to something more like ‘The Da Vinci Code’ with the pontiff (played in a few brief scenes by screen legend Franco Nero) and Amorth digging up evidence that buried beneath the abbey is something far more terrifying than anyone suspected.

    We’re soon being treated to exposition dumps explaining dark chapters of the church’s history, and one particular period comes back to haunt all involved in a big, dark way. It’s one thing for the demon to play on our heroes’ fears, sins and regrets, it’s quite another for Crowe to go spelunking into cheap-looking caverns and musty chambers.

    Plus, the plot strands never quite weave together until the end, and it feels a waste of such a great actor as Nero to spend his time paging through ancient tomes like he’s reading a teenager’s diary and looking shocked when he discovered that the Catholic church has been suppressing information. We’ve got some real revelations his holiness might want to investigate –– if it wouldn’t give the man presented here a case of the holy vapors.

    Final Thoughts

    Despite Russell Crowe’s best efforts, ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ never quite gels. Which is a shame, as Father Gabriel Amorth is a truly fascinating figure who would benefit from, say, a limited series rather than this goofy attempt to jazz up his work.

    ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ receives 4.5 out of 10 stars.

    Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Pope’s Exorcist:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Exorcist Movies On Amazon

    ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ is produced by Screen Gems, 2.0 Entertainment, Jesus & Mary, Worldwide Katz, and Loyola Productions. It is set to release in theaters on April 14th, 2023.

  • ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ Interview: Russell Crowe

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    Opening in theaters on April 14th is the new supernatural horror thriller ‘The Pope’s Exorcist,’ from director Julius Avery (‘Samaritan’).

    What is the plot of ‘The Pope’s Exorcist?’

    Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ follows Father Gabriele Amorth (Oscar-winner Russell Crowe) as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘The Pope’s Exorcist?’

    ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ stars Russell Crowe (‘The Nice Guys,’ ‘Gladiator’) as Father Gabriele Amorth, Daniel Zovatto (‘Lady Bird’) as Father Esquibel, Alex Essoe (‘Doctor Sleep’) as Julia, Franco Nero (‘Django Unchained’) as The Pope, and Ralph Ineson (‘The Green Knight’) as the voice of the Demon.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Russell Crowe about his work on ‘The Pope’s Exorcist,’ what audiences can expect from the film, the unexplainable things that happen on a set, and his surprise to discover that the Pope really does employ an exorcist.

    Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Russell Crowe about ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to audiences about to see this movie to prepare them for the experience they are about to have?

    Russell Crowe: Popcorn. Popcorn would prepare them. Popcorn is a known benefit when dealing with spiritual matters and the occult. I don’t know if people in the audience are particularly religious. Some may prefer Coke, some may prefer Pepsi. I can’t know from this perspective, but at certain points of the movie, you may get a little dry in the throat, so you should have something standing by. Even water, water’s good. Doesn’t have to be blessed, doesn’t have to be holy water, but some level of purity that you should be able to ascertain by reading the label. But, I don’t want to say anything else. You’re about to see it. I don’t want to give anything away.

    Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    (L to R) Daniel Zovatto and Russell Crowe in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    MF: The movie deals with supernatural events, have you ever witnessed an unexplainable phenomenon on a film set?

    RC: Well, lots of inexplicable things happen in a film production every time you work, but the studios don’t like you to discuss that sort of stuff. But I’ll tell you a story from a movie I did called ‘Unhinged.’ We were shooting in New Orleans and I was playing a character in a story that involves a road rage incident that goes out of control. I decided to get a house close out to where the production was based. So out in an area called Kenna. So I rented this house, and it must have been built on some reclaimed land or whatever because the structure itself was a little odd. Some hallways kind of went downwards, and then a hallway right parallel to it would actually be rising upwards. It was an odd house. I had this experience of every time I walked through the house, lights would turn on and off. You’d be in one part of the house and then lights from the other side of the house that you’d just left would turn on. That was going on quite a lot. So one night I was sitting with the people I was working with and I just brought it up. I said, has anybody noticed the light? Everybody had the same experience. One of the people I was working with didn’t actually want to be in that house by themselves. We had some strange incidents that happened in the house, like dead creatures being left at doorways. A couple of people who had come over for dinner both fell over in a very peculiar way. It was just odd. So daily I’m going to work and I’m playing this character. He’s in his truck, he’s driving down the freeway and he’s pursuing this woman that he thinks in his head has done him wrong. Then I come back to that house at night and have these weird experiences with the lights and what have you. I’d been told when I’d rented the house that Will Smith had rented the house. My assumption was that it was Will Smith, the actor. But over time I learned that it was a fellow called Will Smith, who was a former NFL football player who played for the New Orleans Saints who died in a road rage incident.

    Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    Russell Crowe (Right) as Father Gabriele Amorth in Sony Pictures ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    MF: Finally, ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ isn’t just the name of the film, it’s an actual job that exists within the Vatican. Were you aware of that before making this movie?

    RC: Well I was a bit surprised actually, when I read the script. I thought that the job title of Chief Exorcist for the Vatican was something that a Hollywood script writer had come up with. But then I looked into it and that’s a real gig. Father Gabriele Amorth was in that job for 36 years, but it was his personal story and his history, being born in Modena in Italy just before the outbreak of the Second World War and what he’d experienced in his lifetime, which brought him to the job of being the Pope’s Exorcist, being the Chief Exorcist for the Vatican. He served in that position for 36 years until his death in 2016, with tens of thousands of exorcisms he performed.

    Russell Crowe stars in 'The Pope's Exorcist.'
    Russell Crowe stars in ‘The Pope’s Exorcist.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘The Pope’s Exorcist:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Exorcist Movies On Amazon

    The Pope’s Exorcist’ is produced by Screen Gems, 2.0 Entertainment, Jesus & Mary, Worldwide Katz, and Loyola Productions. It is set to release in theaters on April 14th, 2023.