The first trailer for Mona Fastvold‘s historical drama The Testament of Ann Lee has been released.
Amanda Seyfried stars as the titular character, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. The movie follows the irrepressible leader, who espoused gender and social equality while believing herself to be the female incarnation of Christ. The movie features more than a dozen original Shaker hymns which are transformed into ecstatic “movements,” with choreography from Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and music by Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).
The film received a 15 1/2-minute ovation at its Venice debut. with many critics praising Oscar nominee Seyfried’s performance in particular.
In Deadline’s review out of Venice, Damon Wise said “The Testament of Ann Lee plays like a light yin to that film’s dark yang, telling a similar but much warmer story of troubled genius, social torment, and escape. Though she’s clearly some kind of fruitcake, Ann has optimism, compassion and life, which Fastvold reveals in a series of mesmerizing musical numbers taken from real Shaker scriptures.”
Also starring are Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit), Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick), Tim Blake Nelson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Christopher Abbott (Poor Things) and Stacy Martin (The Brutalist).
Fastvold directs and penned the screenplay with her husband Brady Corbet. Producers are Andrew Morrison, Joshua Horsfield, Viktória Petrányi, Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Lillian LaSalle, and Mark Lampert.
Check out the trailer above.
The post ‘The Testament Of Ann Lee’ Trailer: Amanda Seyfried Stars As Irrepressible Religious Leader In Mona Fastvold’s Musical Epic appeared first on Deadline.
