Russell Crowe has consistently been one of the biggest film stars on the planet for nearly 25 years. And in recent years, the Oscar-winning actor has been choosing some really intriguing roles and is seemingly at the point in his career where he is ready to have fun. So, why not take on the role as the most famous exorcist on the planet in “The Pope’s Exorcist?”
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According to THR, Russell Crowe has signed on to star in Julius Avery’s latest film, “The Pope’s Exorcist.” The film is based on the life of the real-life priest, Father Gabriele Amorth, who acted as the leading exorcist in the Catholic Church, overseeing a ton of “real-life” exorcisms under the order of the acting Pope. (Using the words “real-life” and “exorcism” together is a bit difficult, but I digress.) Amorth passed away in 2016 but wrote two memoirs that are being used as inspiration for the new film.
“It’s been a goal of mine to work with Russell,” said Avery. “To collaborate with him on the amazing ‘Pope’s Exorcist’ is truly a dream come true.”
Avery is probably best known for his action film, “Overlord.” His most recent film is the upcoming “Samaritan,” which is a superhero film starring Sylvester Stallone and is on the calendar for an August release. However, considering we haven’t seen a teaser or anything outside of one still image from the film, it’s hard to imagine the feature will actually arrive in August, as planned.
Crowe previously won an Oscar for his role in the 2000 film, “Gladiator.” In more recent years, the actor has starred in films such as “Boy Erased,” “True History of the Kelly Gang,” and “Unhinged.” He’ll next be seen playing Zeus in the upcoming superhero film, “Thor: Love & Thunder.”
An expected release date for “The Pope’s Exorcist” has yet to be announced, but filming is expected to begin in September.