The Ritual Brings America’s Most Infamous Exorcism to the Big Screen This June

Abigail Cowen stars as Emma Schmidt in The Ritual, based on the chilling 1928 exorcism that predates The Exorcist.

THE RITUAL DARES TO TELL THE TRUE STORY THAT CAME BEFORE THE EXORCIST

Abigail Cowen stars as Emma Schmidt in Dave Midell’s chilling look at America’s most terrifying real-life possession

Before The Exorcist made its way into pop culture history, there was Emma Schmidt.

And now, her terrifying true story is headed to the big screen in The Ritual, the latest from director Dave Midell and XYZ Films. Starring Abigail Cowen in the role of Schmidt, the film dives headfirst into the infamous 1928 exorcism that remains one of the most documented and church-sanctioned spiritual battles ever recorded.

From the moment XYZ announced the project, we’ve been following its development—and today they gave us an even deeper look at the terrifying events that inspired it, including the media frenzy, rare church records, and the source material that’s been hiding in plain sight for almost a century.

They also dropped a new, ominous poster along with several featurettes—including one with Father Aaron, a real-life priest who was present on set and served as a spiritual advisor during filming.

This is the origin story of demonic possession in America.

The film is based on the real-life case of Emma Schmidt, whose exorcism took place over 23 days in a secluded Iowa convent. It was conducted by Father Theophilus Riesinger—played in the film by Al Pacino—a legendary Capuchin priest known for carrying out some of the most grueling exorcisms in American history. Eyewitnesses and clergy documented accounts of levitation, unnatural strength, and unholy voices during the ordeal. The events were so shocking they earned national media coverage, including features in Time Magazine.

The 1935 book Begone Satan! chronicled the full case and has since become a foundational text in exorcism lore. It’s also one of the few exorcisms officially recognized by the Catholic Church.

The Ritual revives this story with a sense of historical dread and spiritual weight. While other exorcism films have gone for shock and spectacle, this one grounds its horror in documented reality. And with Abigail Cowen taking on the physical and emotional demands of the lead role, and Pacino stepping into a space few actors of his stature have ever entered, expect this to be one of the most talked-about supernatural thrillers of the year.

XYZ’s latest push also includes behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew, as well as insight from Father Aaron, who guided the production’s spiritual accuracy and grounded the performance of Pacino’s Father Riesinger in real-world detail.

The Ritual opens nationwide June 6th.

Whether you believe in possession or not, the story of Emma Schmidt is about to shake up the genre all over again.

Written and Directed by David Midell

Starring Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, Abigail Cowen & Patricia Heaton