‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Teaser Trailer – Amanda Seyfried Stars as Charismatic Shaker Founder

In the first-look teaser trailer for The Testament of Ann Lee, Amanda Seyfried embodies Ann Lee, the charismatic and enigmatic woman who founded the Shaker movement in the 18th century.

Starring alongside Seyfried in the historical-musical drama are Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Jamie Bogyo, Viola Prettejohn, and David Cale.

Directed by Mona Fastvold, who co-wrote the screenplay with Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), The Testament of Ann Lee premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, then screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival among others. It opens in theaters on December 25, 2025 via Searchlight Pictures.

The Testament of Ann Lee is described as a speculative retelling of the extraordinary story of Ann Lee, founder of the religious sect known as the Shakers. Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shakers’ irrepressible leader — who espoused gender and social equality while believing herself to be the female incarnation of Christ. The film imagines the ecstasy and agony of Ann Lee and her followers’s conviction and commitment to her own vision of utopia. More than a dozen original Shaker hymns are transformed into ecstatic “movements,” featuring choreography from Celia Rowlson-Hall and music by Academy Award-winning composer Daniel Blumberg.

Director Mona Fastvold commented, “Our film is a speculative retelling of the life of Ann Lee, one of the few female religious leaders of the 18th century. She and her followers, known as the Shakers, worshipped through ecstatic song and movement—trembling, exuberant, and physically expressive acts of devotion.”

She added, “I was raised in a secular household, and yet Ann Lee’s prophecies—however implausible—moved me deeply. Not because I share her faith, but because I recognize in her a yearning for justice, transcendence, and communal grace.”

Watch the teaser trailer for The Testament of Ann Lee above.