The Testament of Ann Lee is setting the stage for one of the most talked-about year-end releases of 2025, after a strong showing at various film festivals and receiving critical praises. This historical musical drama directed by Mona Fastvold, delves into Ann Lee's life, the mysterious 18th-century spiritual leader who founded the Shaker movement. The movie, which was first shown in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, has been the tone for awards season talks, especially for the leading role of Amanda Seyfried, whose performance was highly transformative.The Testament of Ann Lee premieres in the United States on December 25, 2025, with a U.K. release set for February 20, 2026, featuring Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, and Christopher Abbott.When and where is The Testament of Ann Lee releasing? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostA limited theatrical release of The Testament of Ann Lee is scheduled for the United States on December 25, 2025. Searchlight Pictures is in charge of the distribution. The film will be also released in the UK on February 20, 2026. In 70 mm, Searchlight intends to offer some viewing sessions to highlight the film's detailed period cinematography and the visuals made by hand.The rollout of the film is after a long and touring festival itinerary, where it was either in competition or a special presentation at the local events like Venice, Toronto, London, Chicago, Zurich, AFI Fest, and Hamptons, and a great number of festivals around the United States and Europe. Some of the screenings have been held in either 35 mm or 70 mm which have helped draw attention to Fastvold's traditional approach to filmmaking that is in line with her method for The Brutalist. The main shooting was done in Budapest. Fastvold and Corbet were very much into the authenticity of the film's physical and emotional storytelling, even the historically accurate depiction of childbirth and the Shaker spiritual rituals.Read More: Sony greenlights 28 Years Later 3 with Cillian Murphy possibly returningWhat happens in The Testament of Ann Lee and who stars in it? The Testament of Ann Lee (Image Via Searchlight Pictures)The Testament of Ann Lee literally goes back tracing the rise of the one who would become Ann Lee, the spiritual leader from the poor and lowly working class of 18th century England and later to the Saint-like figure of America. The story is very rich; it follows Lee across continents and through as many years, unearthing the traumatic events of her childhood, and also her religious visions and the radical theology that became her tool to lead what we now know as the Shaker movement. The movie shows her as fiercely supporting the idea of women’s rights and communal living, plus being wholeheartedly devoted; these were her groundbreaking ideas in the 18th century, while it also reveals how the followers of her sect were increasingly persecuted as it grew the unconventional community that they did.The film tells the story and shows the pictures of how Ann, through her works, attracted followers who eventually regarded her as a female Christ. It is a study of how her charisma and convictions prepared the way of the utopian ideology even when the pressure from the outside was increasing. The death of her four children continually haunts her, but she still manages to build a spiritual identity based on strength and insight, and in the end, she strives to save her small community from the resistance of religion and society.The cast of The Testament of Ann Lee features the dramatic capabilities of Amanda Seyfried foremost, whose acts are the main support of the movie. Alongside her is Thomasin McKenzie playing the role of Mary Partington, Lewis Pullman as the brother of Ann William, and Christopher Abbott as the husband of Ann Abraham Standerin. Tim Blake Nelson as Pastor Reuben Wright, and Stacy Martin and Scott Handy as Jane and James Wardley, the early spiritual influences in Ann's life. The rest of the cast comprises Matthew Beard, Viola Prettejohn, Jamie Bogyo, and David ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌Cale.Read More: Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson set to return in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the ReapingThe movie is set to release on December 25, 2025.