Mikael Håfström to direct 'The Rite'

Mikael Håfström is set to direct New Line Cinema's "The Rite," an upcoming fact-based thriller based on a nonfiction book by Matt Baglio.

According to Variety, the film follows a young man who joins the Vatican's newly formed Exorcism School, where he soon finds himself facing the devil.

Michael Petroni, whose credits include "Queen of the Damned" and the upcoming "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," wrote the script.

Håfström also directed "Derailed" (a film I absolutely hated) and "1408" (one I mildly enjoyed). He's currently wrapping up "Shanghai," starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, John Cusack, David Morse and Franka Potente.