LOS ANGELES (October 7, 2025) – The upcoming independent fantasy-horror feature The Ritual House, directed by Crystal J. Huang and distributed by ITN, isn’t just another haunted-house film — it may be one of the most unsettling shoots in recent memory.
Filmed almost entirely inside the real home of two of its lead actors, The Ritual House blurred the line between fiction and reality in unnerving ways. Characters were written using the actors’ real names, and during production, both cast and crew began to experience chilling events no script could have staged.
“The Conjuring has nothing on this house,” one cast member remarked after a string of unexplained incidents rattled the set.
Social media star and actress Lauren Francesca (who plays Courtney Cable in the film) described a terrifying moment when she felt an invisible shove in the backyard, sending her tumbling into the pool. Lights flickered and flashed randomly throughout filming. In one late-night incident, the homeowner discovered the basement light blazing — though no one had entered — and reported strange noises echoing from the shadows.
The supernatural activity wasn’t limited to the cast. A longtime housekeeper, asked to stay and care for pets during filming, refused to remain overnight, claiming she saw shifting shadows and felt a “presence” in the halls.
Even visitors weren’t spared. A close friend of director Crystal J. Huang, who came to assist with catering, developed sudden welts and scratches on his legs while quietly working in the bar area. The marks scarred and remain to this day — and he has vowed never to return to the house again.
Props, too, seemed cursed. A clock suddenly toppled and shattered mid-scene. An antique music box, featured prominently in the film, reportedly switched itself on and off at random, unnerving everyone on set.
To heighten authenticity, the production team went further than most. A satanic mural was painted in the basement, and the set was dressed with real crystals, tarot cards, and occult paraphernalia. While many assumed these details were purely theatrical, the unexplained experiences that followed left the crew questioning if they had awakened something far darker.
The Ritual House stars Donna Spangler, Crystal J. Huang, Lauren Francesca, and an ensemble cast who lived through the strange events both on-screen and off.
Will audiences be able to separate the movie’s sinister fiction from the chilling truths behind the walls where it was filmed? Or will they, like the cast and crew, leave questioning what they just witnessed?
About The Ritual House
Directed by Crystal J. Huang and written by Donna Spangler, The Ritual House tells the story of two friends who awaken something ancient after turning their inherited home into a short-term rental.
The film stars Donna Spangler, Crystal J. Huang, social media influencer Lauren Francesca, Keiara Scranton, Neil Bentley Fierro, Bron Theron, Anna Yosin, Brandon Lill, Arthur Peng, Curt Clendenin, and David L. Klein.
Executive Producer includes Xue Zhang
Associate Producers: Neil Bentley Fierro, Mark Flemmich, Sophia Jiang, and Chris Shane Sanders
World Premiere:
The Ritual House will have its World Premiere on October 24 at The Chabot Theatre in the Bay Area. Address: 2853 Castro Valley Blvd, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Distributed by ITN, the film will launch on Tubi on October 24, with additional digital and VOD platform releases — including Roku and Fandango at Home — to follow later in October.
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