The Orchard Acquires William Friedkin’s “The Devil & Father Amorth”
Jan 17, 2018
Documentary gives a chilling inside look of exorcism by the Vatican
Los Angeles, CA – January 17, 2018 – The Orchard announced today that the company has acquired worldwide rights to Academy Award winning director William Friedkin’s The Devil & Father Amorth from LD Entertainment. The highly-anticipated documentary gives an inside look at an exorcism performed by the Vatican’s Father Gabriele Amorth as he fights to expel Satan from an Italian woman. Produced by Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon, The Orchard plans a theatrical release on April 20th followed by a worldwide digital release.
Over forty-five years after the release of Friedkin’s blockbuster hit The Exorcist, a film he made believing in the reality of exorcism, the director received permission to travel to Rome and meet with 91-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, the “Vatican Exorcist,” to film a real-life exorcism. The documentary gives a terrifying look at the ninth and final exorcism performed by Father Amorth on an Italian woman who experiences troubling fits and behavioral changes.
“The world’s fascination with William Friedkin’s The Exorcist as a piece of art and a debate about religion and spirituality has never waned,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s EVP Film and Television. “We share his fascination with the topic and the evolution of the discussion that is front and center in The Devil & Father Amorth and are honored to be partnering with him to bring the film to audiences.”
“In the early 1970s when I directed The Exorcist I had not witnessed an exorcism but I wondered how close I had come to portraying reality.” said Friedkin. “I had been curious to meet Father Amorth for many years and when he granted permission to meet and film him in Rome last May, it was the opportunity to complete the circle and see how close that film came to reality.”
The deal was negotiated by The Orchard and ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
About The Orchard
The Orchard is a pioneering independent film, TV and music distribution company that operates in over 30 global markets. The company, founded as a music distributor in 1997, is an innovative leader in the film and television distribution space, known for its cutting-edge technology that provides filmmakers with up-to-the minute trending data and analytics on their projects. Recent film releases include BPM (Beats Per Minute), France’s submission for The Academy Awards®; Thelma, Norway’s submission for The Academy Awards®; Super Dark Times; Sundance Jury Prize winner Dina; The Work; 11/8/16; Trophy; and The Hero. Upcoming releases include Flower, Outside In and Kings. The company’s film division has enjoyed such recent successes as the Academy Award®-nominated documentaries Cartel Land and Life, Animated; Taika Waititi’s The Hunt for the Wilderpeople; Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville’s The Music of Strangers; Alex Lehmann’s Blue Jay; Antonio Campos’ Christine; Pablo Larrain’s critically acclaimed, Golden Globe-nominated Neruda; Oren Moverman’s The Dinner; and Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent. For more information on The Orchard, please visit www.theorchard.com.