Director David Gordon Green confirms that the script for his and Blumhouse's reboot of The Exorcist franchise is officially complete. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, the horror film series first launched in 1973 with the William Friedkin-helmed and Blatty-written classic that grossed over $441 million and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning two. The original story centered on a 12-year-old girl who comes under possession of a demonic entity and the efforts of two Catholic priests to exorcise the spirit.
Thanks to its success, the film launched a franchise with a sequel carrying on the story of Linda Blair's Regan and a threequel adapting Blatty's sequel novel Legion written and directed by Blatty. Receiving generally negative reviews and lower box office numbers, 20th Century Fox attempted the prequel treatment for the film, with two versions released due to varying visions from original director Paul Schrader and new hire Renny Harlin, both of which were critical and commercial losses. The studio developed a series continuation of The Exorcist at Fox, which received generally positive reviews across two seasons though was cancelled due to low ratings.
Green caught up with Total Film to offer an update on development of The Exorcist reboot, confirming the script is officially complete for the horror film. The director also confirmed the film will act as a direct sequel to the 1973 original, but notes it won't necessarily take the same approach as his Halloween trilogy. See what Green had to say below:
"The Exorcist has been written. That was one of my pandemic projects. It’s not inaccurate [that it will be a sequel to the original film]. I like all the Exorcist movies. And not only do I like them, I think they can all fall into the acceptable mythology for what I’m doing. It’s not like I’m saying, 'Pretend that The Exorcist 2 never happened.' That’s fine to exist. They’re all fine to exist, and I enjoy all of them. It’s another fun legacy to be a part of, and hopefully we’ll get that going in the near future. That one is a lot of research, rather than just impulsive screenwriting. That’s one that you talk to a lot of people. You read a lot of books, and do a sh-t-load of interviews. There was such a dramatic authenticity to what that original film is. It’s a lot more than I anticipated getting into it. And I guess I was naive to think that. But it was very exhilarating to be involved in a lot of those conversations that you find yourself in."
While complaints of the horror genre becoming oversaturated with remakes and reboots has been at the forefront of audiences' minds for years, the announcement of a new Exorcist film certainly created mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's another classic horror property getting another unnecessary revisit by Hollywood, but on the other, Green being at the helm was promising given the success of his Halloween reboot. Given the short-lived Fox series attempted the direct sequel approach to the franchise, it is interesting the director is taking a similar path for the reboot.
The confirmation of the script's completion is sure to excite those ready to see Green get to work on the film, but even more intriguing is his discussion of how The Exorcist will fit into the larger mythology. Though he doesn't reference the series, his belief that the film isn't working to retconning any of its predecessors does create plenty of questions about what he has in store. In the meantime, audiences can look forward to his return to the horror genre as Halloween Kills hits theaters on October 15.
Source: Total Film