David Gordon Green is in talks to direct The Exorcist 2 at Blumhouse Productions. The original Exorcist from director William Friedkin came out in 1973. The film was very controversial upon release due to its disturbing and graphic content but was eventually critically praised, winning two Oscars at the 46th Academy Awards. Despite the movie coming out over 45 years ago, The Exorcist is still regarded as one of the best and scariest horror films ever made.
Due to the critical acclaim of the original film, it was a bit of a surprise when it was announced in August that a reboot of The Exorcist was in development. Initial reports indicated that the movie was set for a 2021 release date from Morgan Creek Entertainment, which seems rather unlikely given the amount of information that has come out thus far. Friedkin was also believed to be involved with the project, but recently the director shut down that rumor, saying that there wasn't "enough money or motivation in the world" to get him to work on an Exorcist reboot. Nothing else has been revealed about the next Exorcist film, but the movie has reached a huge milestone.
According to Observer, Green is expected to direct a sequel to The Exorcist for Blumhouse and Morgan Creek. Jason Blum, David Robinson, and James Robinson are said to be producing the film, but Blumhouse and Morgan Creek have yet to comment on the report.
While The Exorcist has gotten a few additions to the franchise over the years, none of them have received as much critical praise as the original. Exorcist II: The Heretic brought back Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil, but The Exorcist III is often considered the best of the sequels since William Peter Blatty (author of The Exorcist) directed the movie. Fans may be nervous that someone else is messing with The Exorcist franchise since Friedkin's original is often considered a horror masterpiece, but having Green involved means the sequel could do well.
Green is the director behind 2018's Halloween, which is being followed up in 2021 with Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends in 2022. Green's Halloween was well-received by long time fans of the franchise and was also one of the highest-grossing horror films of 2018. With Green and Blum on board, they will likely take a similar approach as Halloween, retconning all other Exorcist films and having the sequel take place after the original. That also gives Blumhouse the opportunity to bring back Blair, which could be a huge draw for The Exorcist 2.
Source: Observer