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The Testament of Ann Lee, a religious musical biopic starring Amanda Seyfried
Biopics, a major trend of 2025, will still hit the silver screen in 2026, more specifically regarding religious figures. Following in the footsteps of projects, such as Mother, The Carpenter’s Son, or Mother Mary starring Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried is joining the movement. Closing out 2025 with the theatrical release on December 24th of the adaptation of the bestseller The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney, the 40-year-old actress is kicking off 2026 with an unexpected, ambitious role in The Testament of Ann Lee. This musical biopic traces back the story of Ann Lee, founding leader of the Shaker cult in the 18th century. Directed by Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, the film promises a singular experience blending music and historical drama. Here’s everything we know so far about this intriguing project…
By Ambra Flora.
A turning point in Amanda Seyfried’s career
With The Testament of Ann Lee, Norwegian director Mona Fastvold and her partner Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) tackle the journey of a fascinating, yet little-known British historical figure, Ann Lee. Founding leader of the Shakers (United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing), this 18th-century mystic represents a very unconventional religious leader. Deeply shaped by many hardships, her story is at the heart of a musical biopic. And it is already shaping up to be one of the most intriguing projects of 2026.
The reason for the anticipation surrounding the film goes beyond the screenplay itself. Amanda Seyfried’s performance as a cult leader revered by her followers as the “female representation of God” is what strikes the attention. The role could well earn her an Oscar nomination… At least that’s what the fifteen-minute standing ovation during the film’s premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival seemed to suggest.
All the more so since the actress is once again guided by the discerning eye of the duo behind the camera, already three-time Oscar winners for The Brutalist (2024). With this new feature, Mona Fastvold wants to restore the legacy of a figure too often forgotten. At the Los Angeles premiere, the director told The Hollywood Reporter that she considers Ann Lee to be “perhaps the first American feminist,” while lamenting how few people know about her today.
Ann Lee and the Shakers, an intriguing cult
But who exactly was Ann Lee? Born in England into a working-class family, she went through a series of personal tragedies – an arranged marriage, poverty, domestic violence, the loss of all four of her children – before developing the belief that she was receiving divine visions.
This certainty led her to leave her homeland for America, where she founded the Shaker movement, also described by historians and writers as a “Protestant sect”. This community advocated for radical simplicity, spiritual equality between women and men, and extreme austerity.
An original musical biopic
This biopic explores a quite disturbing historical figure and stands out for its musical dimension. Far removed from the classic codes of Hollywood musicals, since the story is anything but light-hearted, this drama features sung and choreographed sequences that recreate Shaker rituals.
Audiences won’t find any catchy choruses or spectacular dance numbers. Music composer Daniel Blumberg – already behind the score of The Brutalist – adapted ancient religious hymns to create an unsettling soundscape blending dissonant strings, metallic percussion and incantatory choirs. Meanwhile, Celia Rowlson-Hall took care of choreographing the scenes, drawing directly on the Shaking Quakers’ practices. Their convulsive dances were supposedly purging the body of sin.
The Testament of Ann Lee, by Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, coming out in theatres on March 11th, 2026.
