THE COVENANT

Year: 2006
USA & UK: Sony Pictures Releasing
Cast: Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Laura Ramsey, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemmingway, Jessica Lucas, Chace Crawford, Kyle Schmid, Kenneth Welsh, Wendy Crewson, Matt Austin, Robert Crooks, Steven Crowder, Sarah Smyth, Larry Day, Neil Napier
Director: Renny Harlin
Country: USA
USA & UK: 97 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, sexual content, partial nudity and language
UK Certificate: 12A contains moderate horror and violence
USA Release Date: 8 September 2006
UK Release Date: 8 December 2006
UK DVD Release Date: 9 April 2007

Directed by Renny Harlin (EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING, DIE HARD 2, DEEP BLUE SEA), THE COVENANT tells the story of the Sons of Ipswich, four young students bound by their sacred ancestry. As descendants of the original families who settled in Ipswich Colony in the 1600's, the boys have all been born with special powers. When a fifth descendant suddenly moves to town, secrets begin to unravel which threaten to break the covenant of silence that has protected their families for hundreds of years.

Privilege and beauty abound at Spenser Academy, a New England boarding school for the region's reigning elite. As the new school year begins, students have gathered for a wild outdoor party to mark the end of summer. Hundreds of feet above the gyrating bodies, Caleb Danvers (Steven Strait) and his three best friends walk to the edge of a dizzying precipice and drop unseen and unscathed before casually joining the fray. At the party, gorgeous newcomer Sarah Wenham (Laura Ramsey) is introduced to the boys by her equally stunning roommate Kate (Jessica Lucas). The girls also meet an intriguing transfer student named Chase Collins (Sebastian Stan), who quickly ingratiates himself into the group.

When the police arrive to disperse the partiers, they discover the body of a student, dead of an apparent drug overdose. The school headmaster (Kenneth Walsh) immediately suspects Caleb and his friends are somehow involved. Meanwhile, as Sarah, a former Boston public school student, tries to adjust to dorm life at the elite prep school, she can't shake the creepy feeling that someone - or something - is watching her every move.

With tensions rising at the school, Caleb and his friends close ranks. Although they appear to be normal teenagers, they share an unspoken bond: Not only are they descendants of the original families that settled Ipswich Colony around the time of the Salem witch trials, they also inherited their ancestors' supernatural powers. But their ability to shape-shift, defy gravity and perform superhuman feats of strength comes at a terrible cost: Every time one of the Sons of Ipswich uses his magical powers, he ages prematurely, and the temptation to abuse the power makes it more addictive than any drug. What's more, life is only going to get harder for the young friends: At the moment each boy turns 18, he will "ascend," gaining far more potent - and addictive - powers.

With Caleb's birthday just a few days away, his mother Evelyn (Wendy Crewson) is terrified her son will find it impossible to resist the lure of power like his father before him. Caleb assures her he'll be able to handle his new abilities. But will he really? And what if he needs his power to fight an evil force that threatens everything he loves?

From an original screenplay by J S Cardone (ALIEN HUNTER, TRUE BLUE), THE COVENANT, a hip, visually dazzling, sexy supernatural thriller stars Steven Strait (SKY HIGH, 10,000 B.C.), Sebastian Stan (ALL FALL DOWN, RED DOORS), Laura Ramsey (LORDS OF DOGTOWN, SHE'S THE MAN) and co-stars Taylor Kitsch (SNAKES ON A PLANE, NBC TV'S upcoming series FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS), Toby Hemingway, Jessica Lucas and Chace Crawford. THE COVENANT also features award-winning actress Wendy Crewson (24, THE SANTA CLAUSE 1, 2 & 3).

DVD EXTRAS

Breaking the Silence: Exposing the Covenant
Commentary with Director Renny Harlin