William Friedkin’s The Exorcist is viewed by most as being the greatest demonic possession horror ever created. The film was based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name, but where did Blatty himself get inspiration from? The answer to that question comes in the release of David Midell’s The Ritual. Starring Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene and Abigail Cowen, The Ritual recounts the infamous exorcism of Emma Schmidt, the story often lauded as the one that most directly influenced the creation of the novel that inspired Friedkin’s horror masterpiece.
As the priest at Saint Joseph’s in Earling, Iowa, Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens) lives a quiet dutiful life, tending to his flock. But then, during the fall of 1928, Father Steiger was approached with an urgent concern… Steiger is enlisted to assist and document the work of Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino), a mysterious Capuchin friar, as he carries out an exorcism on a tormented young woman, Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen). The Ritual tells the harrowing true story of the exorcism of Emma Schmidt, and the two priests who went to war with Satan to save her soul.
David Midell is no stranger to adapting fact to fiction, with all of his previous movies having an element of true life to them. It is this skill set that makes him the perfect mind to tackle this troubling tale of terror as he expertly balances intricate detail alongside nail-biting scare sequences. Ahead of the cinema release of the film (30th May in the UK, 6th June in the US), THN were able to speak in detail with David Midell about the film’s creation. We discussed adapting true stories, following in the footsteps of The Exorcist, adding freshness to the demonic possession story, and working with both Al Pacino and Dan Stevens.
The Ritual is released in UK cinemas from Friday 30th May 2025.
