THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE, Starring Amanda Seyfried, Features Score Based on Shaker Hymns

For The Testament of Ann Lee, Amanda Seyfried reached into the depths of her soul to portray the titular religious leader. “So much of it was screaming and doing weird takes. I had these crazy moments of complete freedom—the weirder, the better,” Seyfried told Vanity Fair in a recent in-depth look at the upcoming film. 

Directed by Mona Fasvold from a screenplay she wrote with her husband Brady Corbet (the pair previously wrote 2024's The Brutalist), the movie is a musical drama recalling the true story of Mother Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shaker Movement. During her rise during the eighteenth century, followers believed Lee to be a female representation of God and were known for their jaunty musical worship during religious services. 

Daniel Blumberg's score is mostly based on existing Shaker hymns, with one original composition that plays over the end credits. The final sound mix is a combination of studio recordings and live singing from Seyfried and the cast. Seyfriend is no stranger to the latter, having performed the role of Cosette live during the filming of 2012's Les Misérables. 

“I couldn’t believe the sounds coming out of you in the end,” Fastvold said to Seyfried during the Vanity Fair interview. Though the film is filled with music, the director isn't sure it should be categorized as a musical. “I just wanted to tell this story from their perspective—to bring this wonderful naivete and joy to it. I didn’t want to ridicule them.” Read the full story at Vanity Fair.

In addition to Seyfried, the movie also stars Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Christopher Abbott, Tim Blake Nelson, Stacy Martin, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Viola Prettejohn, David Cale, and Jamie Bogyo. 

The Testament of Ann Lee is set to have its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2025. It will also be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The movie is currently seeking US distribution.  

Photo courtesy of Venice International Film Festival