The cast and crew of SIR Anthony Hopkins' scary new movie THE RITE had extra help on set from a real life exorcist, whose story inspired the thriller.
The movie focuses on a disillusioned young priest, played by Colin O'Donoghue, who finds his true calling after training to perform exorcisms. The film is based on the life of Father Gary Thomas, whose story was told in Matt Baglio's book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist.
Thomas, who works at a parish in Saratoga, California, spent a week in June (10) on the set of the movie in Budapest, Hungary, acting as an adviser to director Mikael Hafstrom.
He admits he's pleased with the finished film and hopes audiences will find the story inspiring, rather than frightening.
Thomas tells Mercurynews.com, "There's nothing in the movie I'm ashamed of. You walk out of there with a sense of hope... I just want to do what I can to inform. I'm not offended if someone doesn't believe it. What I've described, I've seen."