The Awakening is the chilling tale of American archaeologist Matt Corbeck (Charlton Heston) who arrives in Egypt with his pregnant wife, searching for the tomb of Queen Kara: his life’s mission. At the same moment he discovers the tomb and opens its accursed seal, his wife gives birth to a girl. Years later it transpires that when the tomb was disturbed, the malevolent spirit of the Egyptian queen escaped and possessed his new-born daughter Margaret (Stephanie Zimbalist). With Margaret crucially ill as her true personality gradually succumbs to the evil invader, Matt can hesitate no longer and – unaware of the startling and terrifying events which he is to trigger off – proceeds with the ritual of Kara’s re-incarnation. The Awakening was the feature directorial debut of Mike Newell, who went on to a series of high-profile British dramas and comedies before eventually returning to fantastic cinema with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. One of The Awakening's strongest assets is its fine, lyrical score by jazz favorite Claude Bolling, who turns in a rich orchestral work with a beautiful, shimmering main theme.

Contact the STUDIOCANAL Publicity Team