Searchlight Pictures has officially set a release date for The Testament of Ann Lee, a musical drama starring Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee, the visionary founder of the Shaker movement.
The film made its world premiere last month at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, where Seyfried’s performance drew widespread acclaim. Early praise has already positioned her as a strong contender for a Best Actress nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards.
The Testament of Ann Lee will debut in select theaters on December 25, strategically timed for awards season. Since Venice, the film has earned a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.
According to the official synopsis, Seyfried portrays “the Shakers’ irrepressible leader, who championed gender and social equality while declaring herself the female incarnation of Christ. The Testament of Ann Lee thrillingly imagines the ecstasy and agony of Ann Lee and her followers’ conviction and devotion to her vision of utopia.”
Directed by Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist), the film was co-written with Brady Corbet. The ensemble cast features Thomasin McKenzie as Mary, Lewis Pullman as William Lee, Christopher Abbott as Abraham, Tim Blake Nelson, Stacy Martin as Jane Wardley, Matthew Beard, Viola Prettejohn, and others.
The project is produced by Corbet, Fastvold, Andrew Morrison, Joshua Horsfield, Viktória Petrányi, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Lillian LaSalle, and Mark Lampert.
