April 5 (Reuters) - When actor Russell Crowe began reading about the history of real-life Catholic priest Father Gabriele Amorth, who claimed to have performed over 50,000 exorcisms, he was intrigued.
Crowe’s portrayal of Amorth in Sony’s (6758.T) horror flick “The Pope’s Exorcist” is based on the books the late priest left behind, which chronicled 36 years of exorcisms and other work for the Vatican.
However, unlike previous exorcisms, the demon feeds off the exorcist's own guilt and regrets.
While he knows this depiction of a religious figure may cause criticism from some, Crowe was determined to stick to Amorth’s accounts.
“Everybody is going to have their own opinion, but these are books which are written from first-person experience,” he told Reuters.