Press Release from EPK.TV
LOS ANGELES, CA – April 16, 2024 – Award-winning film studio NEON announced today that it will release Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, “Euphoria”) for digital purchase and rental starting April 16th. The film will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD starting June 11. The home release comes on the heels of Immaculate’s massive success at the US box office, quickly becoming an audience favorite, grossing over $15.2mm and counting, and remaining in the US box office top 10 for three weeks.
Sweeney stars as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors. 
Director’s Statement
"Interested in directing a horror film?”
This simple text message from Sydney Sweeney, a close collaborator and the driving force behind
her production company Fifty-Fifty Films, plunged me into what would become the most
electrifying project of my career. Alongside ‘White Lotus’ producer David Bernad, and Producing
partner Jonathan Davino, we were determined to craft the horror movie her fans had been
clamoring for.
Their search for the perfect script was an exhaustive one. They sought a story that could unsettle to
the core while still delivering those quintessential popcorn-movie scares, and eventually,
rediscovered IMMACULATE by Andrew Lobel— a script Sydney auditioned for a while back but had
never come to light. It had been terrifying to her years ago, and after re-reading it, it terrified us
Today.
Very quickly, I realized this was more than just a script. Andrew wasn’t merely crafting scares; he
was sculpting a classic. Because here, the terror wasn’t conjured from a supernatural CG monster.
Instead, it was grounded in a chilling reality, a horror that is so palpable and inescapable.
I loved that the story was laced with traditional jump scares— unpretentious and driven by theme.
Despite my experience crafting unexpected plot twists, this story delivered a series of revelations
that completely took me by surprise, but also made me sick to my stomach. I loved it.
Approaching the production, I was conscious of our singular criterion: it had to be genuinely
terrifying. The legacy of auteurs like Polanski, Friedkin, and Kubrick guided my vision— aiming for
a film marked by simplicity, restraint, and a focus on performance that resonates with both the
elegance of 1970s horror and the expectations of contemporary viewers.
Sister Cecilia’s journey —from an emblem of purity to a feral creature, drenched in blood— spoke
to Sydney’s natural versatility. From the quiet resilience of Reality Winner to the explosively
insecure Cassie Howard, our protagonist Sister Cecilia would allow Sydney to tap into both;
delivering a performance that is as understated as it is unhinged.
And the story’s culmination, which I will only hint at here, is intended to leave audiences
breathless, inviting introspection, without prescribing answers— all unfolding within a tight 89
Minutes.
Collaborating on this film wasn't just the greatest honor of my life; it was a chance to make
something that could stand the test of time. My hope is that IMMACULATE feels like the ultimate
rollercoaster ride, leaving you haunted, introspective, and beautifully traumatized.
– Michael Mohan, director
In the YouTube video below--Sydney Sweeney actually visits a church and watches the movie with two pastors.
NEON acquired Michael Mohan’s Immaculate, produced by and starring double Emmy Award®-nominee Sydney Sweeney (“The White Lotus”, “Euphoria,” “Anyone but You”) ahead of its SXSW World Premiere, marking a reunion between Sweeney and Mohan, who helmed 2021’s The Voyeurs with the actress. The film, which features a script by Andrew Lobel, also stars Simona Tabasco (“The White Lotus”), Alvaro Morte (“Money Heist”), Benedetta Porcaroli (“Baby”), and Dora Romano (The Hand of God). Sweeney produced with Jonathan Davino for Fifty-Fifty Films, alongside Middle Child Pictures’ David Bernad, who developed the project with Sweeney following their collaboration on the Emmy-winning “The White Lotus”. Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler produced for Black Bear, which fully financed and represented the international sales rights. Executive producers are Black Bear’s John Friedberg and Christopher Casanova, alongside Will Greenfield.
Immaculate has been called, “darkly beautiful, bloody and bold,” and “one of the best religious horror films in years,” with audiences and critics specifically calling out its “genuinely shocking ending.”
Comments
Post a Comment