GHOST, the Grammy-winning, chart-topping, and arena-headlining band known for their fiercely loyal fanbase and theatrical rock performances, is unleashing their hit debut feature film “Rite Here Rite Now” on home audiences everywhere following a record-smashing Top 10 worldwide box office performance, grossing over $5 million across its four-day expanded release in cinemas. Streaming platform Veeps, which also debuted in its role as studio on the film, has announced an exclusive global online premiere of “Rite Here Rite Now” on Saturday, July 20, 2024. In addition to transporting viewers from their couches to the stage — and backstage — of Los Angeles’s Kia Forum, the Veeps premiere will add to the rock n roll cinematic event of the summer: The “Rite Here Rite Now” stream will feature an exclusive conversation with GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge, co-director Alex Ross Perry and live director Jim Parsons captured at the film’s London premiere and will be available to all fans worldwide. Tickets are $19.99, available now at this location.
“Rite Here Rite Now” premiered globally in cinemas on June 20 through 23, with additional screenings added due to insatiable fan demand. It’s an unforgettable, immersive event that combines narrative storytelling with live performances from the sold-out two-night finale of the band’s “Re-Imperatour” U.S.A. 2023 at Los Angeles’s iconic Kia Forum. Fans who purchase tickets to the stream will have the exclusive opportunity to access GHOST merchandise.
A phantasmagorical blend of live performance and cutaway sequences that immerses viewers in the technicolor melodrama of GHOST‘s vaunted live rituals, the film picks up plot threads from the band’s long-running Chapters webisode series. It captures flesh and bone renditions of fan favorites from all five of GHOST‘s albums, as well as the RIAA platinum-certified “Mary On A Cross”, interwoven with the silver screen debuts of familiar faces — all interacting behind the scenes with GHOST‘s Papa Emeritus IV, as his future and fate lay in the hands of the Ministry.
Whether a devoted disciple reliving treasured memories of the GHOST live spectacle or a curious newcomer, “Rite Here Rite Now” transports viewers into the heart of the performance. The film captures the essence of living in the moment, with a shadow of uncertainty looming, leaving the audience completely spellbound and enthralled by this bombastic yet intimate cinematic portrait of GHOST.
For its theatrical run, which was distributed by Trafalgar (Taylor Swift‘s “Eras” tour and Beyoncé‘s “Renaissance”),“Rite Here Rite Now” entered the Top 10 of the North America box office with a cumulative total gross of $2.65 million, making it the highest-grossing hard rock cinema event ever in North America. After its opening weekend, it entered the worldwide Top 10 box office at No. 9 with a total gross of $5.04 million worldwide. Regional highlights also included U.K. and Ireland with a $606,000 gross and No. 5 at the box office, Germany with a $332,000 gross and No. 3 at the box office, Mexico with a $326,000 gross and a No. 5 box office position for the weekend, and Australia with a $178,000 gross and No. 6 at the box office. The film has captivated audiences, receiving a stellar 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Fans can purchase Veeps tickets for “Rite Here Rite Now” for $19.99 for two weeks after the initial air date, with a 48-hour rewatch period after ticket purchase.
“Rite Here Rite Now: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”, mixed by Rich Costey, will be released worldwide on July 26 via Loma Vista Recordings. A fitting 18-song complement to GHOST‘s debut feature film, the band’s first ever original soundtrack will be available on all formats (digital, CD, 2xLP). Pre-orders are live now here, and include the brand new studio recording “The Future Is A Foreign Land”, revealed to the world during the film’s opening night, and the live version of “Absolution” as instant-grat tracks.
Last October, Forge confirmed that footage from the band’s September 2023 two shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California would be used as part of the film.
“When I first started putting it together, I was, like, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to faint because there’s so much to think about,'” Forge told Metal Hammer magazine. “Then it was, like, ‘No, no, just don’t think about it at all.'”
Both GHOST shows at the Forum were device-free experiences. Use of phones and smart watches was not permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, devices were secured in individual Yondr pouches that were opened at the end of the event.
“I have never seen a crowd interact the way that they did since I was in a club band,” Forge said. “They were the best shows I’ve ever done with GHOST, just because I didn’t have to see those fucking mobile phones.”
At the Forum shows, GHOST performed the song “Twenties” live for the very first time live. They also played their cover of Roky Erikson‘s “If You Have Ghosts”, which was originally reimagined by GHOST for their 2013 EP “If You Have Ghost”. The band’s version of the track at the Forum featured two cellists with a piano playing, and it was performed on a separate stage from the rest of the set.