Priest on set, serial killer territory: 'Passenger' opens exclusively at Lotte Cinema

Passenger opened at Lotte Cinema on June 24 — exclusively — and the behind-the-scenes story rivals the film itself for sheer unease.

Directed by André Øvredal (The Jane Doe Identity, which earned Stephen King's public praise), the supernatural road horror follows a young couple who encounter an unidentified evil spirit that boards their van. Melissa Leo, winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 83rd ceremony, plays the mysterious Diane. Jacob Scipio and Lou Lovell round out the cast; Lovell recently wrapped Apple TV+'s Foundation Season 3.

Production took place on actual highways and in remote forests across Washington State. The crew later revealed the locations sat near the known activity area of a notorious American serial killer. Strange incidents kept happening on set. Jacob Scipio eventually asked the production team to bring in a priest to bless the location.

"Filming on an actual road itself was scary. I didn't know what I would encounter," Lou Lovell said. Producer Walter Hamada was blunt: "There were so many strange things at the site that everyone thought it was haunted." Co-screenwriter Zachary Donohue described "an eerie atmosphere" that "continued throughout filming." Øvredal himself called it "not an ordinary horror film shoot."

The evil spirit character took roughly one year to develop. Actor Joseph Lopez built out the entity's unsettling physicality through repeated rehearsals and dedicated coaching.

The film's survival rules are simple. Don't drive at night. Never stop the car. Don't ignore mysterious markings left inside the vehicle. Passenger is currently showing exclusively at Lotte Cinema.