The Exorcist is the latest horror classic to get a new set of movies, but with the original movie already having a couple of sequels, why is the new one a sequel and not a reboot? Few movies in the horror genre have had the same impact as William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, released in 1973 and based on the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. Although controversial from the beginning, not just for the topics addressed in it but also for the reaction of the audience, The Exorcist became the most successful horror movie ever and a classic that every horror fan has watched at least once.
The Exorcist tells the story of Regan (Linda Blair), a 12-year-old girl who after playing with a Ouija board comes into contact with an “imaginary friend” who is actually the demon Pazuzu. Regan becomes the target of demonic possession, and her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn), calls Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) for help, who end up performing a dangerous exorcism. Due to its graphic scenes, The Exorcist drew a lot of attention upon its release but also a lot of controversy, as viewers would faint and feel sick through it, but that didn’t stop it from being a success. The movie made way for a franchise, which is now getting a new chance through a sequel that will make way for a new trilogy.
The Exorcist franchise consists of five movies and a TV show, and while they all spawned from the most successful horror movie ever, none of them had the same success as the original one. However, the franchise is about to get a second chance with a sequel directed by David Gordon Green and produced by Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment, with Universal Pictures in charge of distributing the film. This new Exorcist movie will be a sequel and not a reboot, and the plan is for it to launch a new trilogy, with Ellen Burstyn being the link between these and the original as she will reprise her role as Chris MacNeil. Choosing to go for a sequel and not a reboot is actually for the better of the franchise, as seen in recent years with other horror movies.
As mentioned above, The Exorcist already has a couple of sequels but none of them live up to the name and the quality it represents. As a result, the sequels are often forgotten and dismissed by the audience, and with the original one being a major success, it makes sense to have the new trilogy be a direct sequel to it and save its legacy by giving it stories that can live up to it. The Exorcist sequel would be following the formula that Blumhouse has been using with the Halloween franchise, as the 2018 movie (also directed by David Gordon Green) is a direct sequel of John Carpenter’s original movie and completely ignores the rest of the movies, creating a new timeline with a story that fits that of the first movie a lot better. Following that same line, The Exorcist 2 will see a father (Leslie Odom Jr.) of a possessed child who turns to Burstyn’s MacNeil for help, thus connecting both movies while also giving the sequel its own story.
A new wave of The Exorcist movies might not sound like a good idea for many given the classic status of Friedkin’s movie, but in the right hands and with an engaging (and obviously terrifying) story, it can prove to be exactly what the franchise needed. It’s to be seen how much The Exorcist sequels will add to the larger mythology of the franchise and how much of it they will retcon, but fans can rest assured knowing that Blumhouse and Green know well how to handle a big horror franchise.