Looking back at Russell Crowe’s career, he had an impressive 12-year-run of films, between 1997 to 2009, with memorable turns in “L.A. Confidential,” “The Insider”, “Gladiator,” “A Beautiful Mind”, “Master & Commander”, “Cinderella Man,” “3:10 to Yuma” and “American Gangster”.
The last 10 years or so have been rather strange for the actor. It’s as if he’s not even trying anymore. He’d rather star in cheaply made and unambitious films (“Fathers and Daughters,” “Unhinged,” “Sleeping Dogs,” “Winter’s Tale,” “The Water Diviner,” “Prizefighter, “Poker Face”). It’s kind of depressing to watch all of this unfold. We want the old Russell back.
One genre Crowe seems really keen in doing are films about exorcisms. Last year saw the release of the ill-reviewed “The Pope’s Exorcist.” Yesterday, it was announced that the Crowe-starring “The Exorcism” would be getting a theatrical bow on June 7.
As per Deadline, Crowe will star as a "troubled actor" shooting a supernatural horror film. As production progresses, his daughter is worried whether he’s "slipping back into past addictions" – or if there’s something more sinister beneath the surface. Must be the latter.
“The Exorcism,” directed by Joshua John Miller, was going to get dumped on streaming before it was acquired by Vertical from Miramax. Additional casting includes Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.
This pickup by Vertical is no doubt intended to bank on the recent surge of religious horror films like Crowe’s own “The Pope’s Exorcist,” “The Exorcist Believer”, “Prey for the Devil”, “The First Omen”, and “Immaculate.” Out of the bunch, I’d only recommend ‘First Omen.’
Meanwhile, Crowe’s upcoming slate includes “Kraven the Hunter,” a Sony-produced comic book movie that already has a much-mocked trailer. He also has a few upcoming films that might be released directly to VOD, including “Rothko,” and “The Beast in Me.”