Al Pacino enters horror for the first time with The Ritual – Beyond Bollywood

The Ritual revisits the 1928 Exorcism of Emma Schmidt. Film to stream on Lionsgate Play from 12 September.

By Our Correspondent

Al Pacino, one of cinema’s most enduring actors, will appear in his first traditional horror film this month. The Ritual, directed by David Midell, arrives on Lionsgate Play on 12 September  and draws on the 1928 exorcism of Emma Schmidt, one of the most widely documented cases of alleged demonic possession.

Pacino plays a priest grappling with doubt who becomes involved in an exorcism alongside another clergyman, portrayed by Dan Stevens. The story positions the two men against a force that unsettles both their faith and their personal histories. The cast also includes Ashley Greene and Spencer Treat Clark.

Although Pacino has worked on films with supernatural or psychological elements. most famously as Satan in disguise in The Devil’s Advocate (1997), he has never led a straightforward horror film. The Ritual changes that, placing him in the role of an observer turned reluctant participant in a spiritual confrontation.

Speaking about the project, Pacino said the story’s grounding in real events drew him in. “It drew me because it was a true story. It was a good script, a good part, so I said I’ll do it,” he explained.

Midell’s film aims to examine faith under siege rather than rely on spectacle. Where other horror titles lean on jump scares, The Ritual emphasises the strain of belief and the cost of doubt. Pacino has previously noted that portraying real figures, from Frank Serpico to Jack Kevorkian, demands both research and personal interpretation. He applied a similar approach here, treating the priest’s struggle as a human conflict rather than a purely supernatural one.

The release comes as The Conjuring franchise reaches its conclusion, leaving space for other explorations of possession and exorcism on screen. While it joins a crowded month for horror releases, Pacino’s involvement provides an unusual entry point for audiences more accustomed to seeing him in crime dramas or character-driven thrillers.

Asked what he hopes viewers take away, Pacino avoided easy answers: “I hope that the audience walks away with an experience..  not so much in your head, that might come later, but just within.”

The Ritual begins streaming September 12 on Lionsgate Play.