MOVIE NEWS – Al Pacino Becomes the First Film Star to Meet the Newly Elected American-Born Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV welcomed the delegation of the film Maserati: The Brothers, currently shooting in Italy, for a private audience. Among those present were Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino and the film’s producer Andrea Iervolino. “The meeting was a moment of deep spiritual and cultural inspiration, centered on the shared values that lie at the heart of both the Catholic Church and the film: family unity, love, compassion, and contributing to the common good,” the film’s official statement reads. Photos of the encounter were published by Deadline.

Al Pacino has another strong connection to the Church, as he stars as a priest in his latest film, The Rituel, set to premiere in theaters on July 10. Based on true events, the story follows two priests, Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino) and Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens). One of them is struggling with his faith, while the other is haunted by a troubled past. They must put aside their differences to carry out a complex and dangerous exorcism in December 1928 to save the soul of a young woman named Emma Schmidt. The Rituel brings to the screen America’s most documented exorcism—an event that also inspired the iconic 1973 film The Exorcist.

Writer-director David Midell made his feature debut with NightLights (2014), a poignant drama about the bond between twins, one of whom is a severely autistic boy cared for by his sister. His second film, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain (2019), is based on a true story, portraying how a routine police check spiraled out of control, leading to the death of an elderly African American man with bipolar disorder. Actor Frankie Faison received a Gotham Award for his acclaimed performance in the lead role.

The Rituel will be released in Hungarian cinemas on July 10, 2025, distributed by ADS Service.

Source: ADS Filmek