EXCLUSIVE: Josh Heuston (Dune: Prophecy) and Ryan Corr (Wolf Creek 2) are attached to star in Biblical horror-thriller The First Exorcist from Wolf Creek director Greg McLean.

Drawn from one of the most visceral accounts in the Gospels, the film will tell the story of Alexios, “a pillar of his farming community, a beloved husband and father, whose mind and body are overtaken by a legion of demons. As his possession becomes more violent and fear grips the village, a young unknown preacher named Jesus, on the run from the Roman authorities, comes to town with a few followers. He and only he can confront this ancient evil, which is unlike anything he has faced before — the demonic force behind the Gerasene Demoniac. What follows is the world’s original exorcism: the Miracle of the Swine, a violent and transcendent supernatural showdown whose reverberations would change the course of human history.”

Upgrade will launch sales on the project at the upcoming Cannes market. Additional cast is coming together for a shoot in Q4 this year.

Pitched as The Witch meets The Passion of the Christ, the film is produced by McLean and Mark Fennessy through his banner Helium Pictures.

McLean’s debut feature Wolf Creek was a breakout box office hit that launched a franchise. He has most recently directed episodes of Netflix’s popular series Territory and produced Netflix action pic War Machine. With The First Exorcist, he is returning to the horror genre.

McLean said of the project: “This is a unique and powerful tale of faith, but it is also the original horror event: a legion of demons, a man beyond saving, and one encounter that changes everything. I approached the story with total respect for what it is, and total commitment to making audiences feel it in their bones. This is where it all begins.”

Upgrade’s Jonathan Kier added: “Greg brings a fearlessness to horror that’s genuinely rare, and this story deserves exactly that. We’re thrilled to be taking it to Cannes.”