Ahead of its world premiere, Trafalgar Releasing has unveiled a first-look clip of GHOST‘s debut film, “Rite Here Rite Now”. In the spirit of the feature film, the clip juxtaposes mesmerizing live footage of GHOST performing for capacity crowds, showcasing a sequence of the song “Kaisarion” from the 2022 album “Impera”, with intriguing backstage machinations sure to fuel fever-pitch speculation regarding plot threads drawn from the Grammy-winning band’s “Chapters” series.
Due to the overwhelming demand, further theatrical dates have been added to the worldwide launch of “Rite Here Rite Now”, which will now premiere in cinemas over four days on June 20, June 21, June 22 and June 23. Tickets are available here.
Directed by GHOST‘s Tobias Forge and Alex Ross Perry (“Her Smell”),“Rite Here Rite Now” combines never-before-seen 2023 concert footage of GHOST with a narrative story that picks up plot threads from the band’s long-running “Chapters” series.
Shot over the course of GHOST‘s two sold-out shows at Los Angeles’s hallowed Kia Forum, “Rite Here Rite Now” fully immerses viewers in the technicolor melodrama of the vaunted live ritual that has helped to propel Sweden’s foremost theatrical rock export to Grammy-winning, chart-topping, arena-headlining status the world over.
“Rite Here Rite Now” is, however, so much more than a concert movie. GHOST‘s debut feature film combines live performance from the two-night finale of the band’s “Re-Imperatour” U.S.A. 2023 with a narrative story that picks up plot threads from the band’s long-running “Chapters” series. The result is an utterly unique phantasmagorical blend: Flesh and bone renditions of favorites from all five of GHOST‘s albums as well as the RIAA platinum-certified “Mary On A Cross” and more are interwoven with the silver screen debuts of a few faces familiar to the band’s legions of fans — all interacting behind the scenes with GHOST‘s Papa Emeritus IV, as his future and fate lay in the hands of the Ministry.
Whether you’re a devoted disciple looking to relive treasured memories of the GHOST live spectacle or among the curious uninitiated, “Rite Here Rite Now” will put you right there: putting your phones down and living in the moment — as a shadow of uncertainty looms — completely spellbound and in the thrall of this bombastic yet intimate cinematic portrait of GHOST.
The original motion picture soundtrack to “Rite Here Rite Now” will be released on July 26 via Loma Vista Recordings. A fitting 18-song complement to GHOST‘s debut feature film, the band’s first-ever original soundtrack will be available on all formats (digital, CD, 2xLP). Pre-orders are live now, and include the soundtrack’s live version of “Absolution”, captured at that now-legendary two-night stand at the Forum, as an instant grat track available on YouTube.
Forge explained: “Over a decade ago when GHOST got signed to Loma Vista, Tom Whalley (owner and CEO) asked what the story of the band was. He felt telling a story was vital in order to get new fans engaged. I said that because we were a new ‘baby’ band and more importantly we were an anonymous baby band, there wasn’t really a compelling story to tell. Not yet anyway. But I told him that if he wanted a story, I could come up with one. This film is the fruit of that conversation.”
Director Alex Ross Perry said: “Collaborating with Tobias to expand the saga of GHOST into a feature film has been a wicked delight. This movie allowed us to be inspired by everything from silent horror to ‘The Great Rock N’ Roll Swindle’, from Ralph Bakshi to KISS ‘Alive II’. The influences were many, but above all, the ultimate goal was to make a one-of-a-kind feast not only for GHOST fans, but all lovers of the cinematic alchemy between rock spectacle and spooky delights.”
Kymberli Frueh, SVP of programming and content acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing, added: “The mystery, mystique, and musical style of GHOST has created such a dedicated allegiance to the band. Our cinemas provide the perfect immersive experience to unite fans as a community and experience GHOST‘s elaborate performances with big screens and big sound.”
“Rite Here Rite Now” is produced by Popecorn Cinematic Pictures. Producers include Kristen Mulderig, Rick Sales, Craig Butta and Jonas Åkerlund.
Last October, Forge confirmed that footage from the band’s September 2023 two shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California would be used as part of the film.
“When I first started putting it together, I was, like, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to faint because there’s so much to think about,'” Forge told Metal Hammer magazine. “Then it was, like, ‘No, no, just don’t think about it at all.'”
Both GHOST shows at the Forum were device-free experiences. Use of phones and smart watches was not permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, devices were secured in individual Yondr pouches that were opened at the end of the event.
“I have never seen a crowd interact the way that they did since I was in a club band,” Forge said. “They were the best shows I’ve ever done with GHOST, just because I didn’t have to see those fucking mobile phones.”
Tobias went on to say that GHOST was “essentially shooting a film. And we used two nights of crowds as extras,” he explained. “It’s going to be a film with a concert element. So a lot of what you experienced [at the two L.A. shows] is going to be part of this project.”
Tobias was also asked if the GHOST film will be similar to METALLICA‘s “Through The Never”, which starred members of the iconic rock band and Dane DeHaan (“Chronicle”, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”). DeHaan played a young band crew member who is sent out on an urgent mission while the band is playing a rousing live set in front of a sold-out crowd and unexpectedly finds his world turned completely upside down. Forge replied: “In the sense that it’s a concert with something else combined.”
At the Forum shows, GHOST performed the song “Twenties” live for the very first time live. They also played their cover of Roky Erikson‘s “If You Have Ghosts”, which was originally reimagined by GHOST for their 2013 EP “If You Have Ghost”. The band’s version of the track at the Forum featured two cellists with a piano playing, and it was performed on a separate stage from the rest of the set.
Back in 2019, Forge told Revolver that there was a GHOST feature film in the works. He added, however, that this wouldn’t be your typical “rockumentary” or even a concert film, but something else entirely.
“Most films about bands are biographical, and I see no reason to tell our story yet,” Forge said. “It’s a little bit like premature ejaculation. You have to have a career first and then you can tell the real story, so that was never an option. And when you yank away that, what do you have? Well, that would be a fictional story.”
When Forge spoke to Revolver about the GHOST film four years ago, he explained that it would be a while before the project came to fruition.
“The cog wheels are turning on that one,” he said. “We’re just trying to figure out a lot of the practicalities. Making a film is a big endeavor. Another problem that I have had over the course of my career is that I don’t have a shit-ton of time. I’ve learned over the years that it’s really important not to do everything at once.”