Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for The Rite, a supernatural thriller purported to be inspired by true events.  As scripted by Michael Petroni (Possession), The Rite tells the story of a seminary student attending "exorcism school" at the Vatican: "While in Rome, he meets an unorthodox priest who introduces him to the darker side of his faith."

Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, and Toby Jones star in The Rite, directed by Mikael Håfström (1408).  Hit the jump for the trailer and synopsis.

I think it's a bit unfortunate that so many of the films that are explicitly about religion use it for the purpose of horror.  That said, Hopkins is a great get, and it looks like he has plenty of scenery to chew.  If this is your type of flick, I pray The Rite brings you abundant joy when it opens on January 28, 2011.

Click to Apple for HD.

Inspired by true events, The Rite follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While in Rome, he meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) , who introduces him to the darker side of his faith. Directed by Mikael Hafstroem (1408), "The Rite" is a supernatural thriller that uncovers the devil's reach to even one of the holiest places on Earth.