Director David Green has offered terror fanatics a follow-up toThe Exorcist(1973), tentatively meant to pave a new path for a proposed trilogy. But 50 years after the masterpiece thrilled moviegoers, is a sequel necessary? Let’s break down the facts vis-a-visThe Exorcist: Believer.
Coming August 18, 2025, to coincide with the originalExorcist’s half-century centennial, fright aficionados worry it might be a soulless and more worryingly pointless cash grab aimed at exploiting nostalgia. Will the new release bear any resemblance to the masterpiece original?
Conspiracies Abound
After filming production was forced to take an unexpected break for the holidays (citing an unspecified health issue involving Leslie Odom Jr.), even the most die-hard skeptics are willing to giveTheExorcist: Believera shot. This could be due to the unexpected involvement of Ellen Burstyn, who came aboardBelieverto revisit her somewhat incomplete role as Chris MacNeil from the original 1973 horror classic.
It’s no secret that what initially appears to be any other generic genre fright festfocused on Catholic loresuddenly reintroduces fans to a familiar face: Chris MacNeil (portrayed by the surprise veteran Ellen Burstyn). As the beleaguered mother of Regan (the legendary Linda Blair), Burstyn bridges the gap to the original story of the little girl possessed in William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece. It is her returning role in the movie that convinced many nay-sayers to check outThe Exorcist: Believerregardless of a previously mentioned underwhelming trailer.
Luckily for the filmmakers,Exorcist: Believer’s conspiracy theorysurrounding Leslie Odom Jr.‘smysterious illness rocked the horror fan base, leading to speculation of a haunted set. As this happened back during the production of the original Exorcist, a fifty-year-long curse would seem appropriate.
The Exorcist: Believer Shocks Fans With Its Unexpected Runtime
The Exorcist: Believer challenges the convention by opting for a shorter runtime.
Familiar Old Faces?
Burstyn’s character, Chris MacNeil, is contacted by the parent of a victim of demonic possession after discovering she went through a similar experience fifty years prior. At one stage in the trailer, Chris comes face-to-face with the possessed daughter, and the devil reportedly states, “We’ve met before.”
This could be the beginning of a thrilling and terrifying traipse into the unknown, or it could spell doom for the franchise in the form of formulaic and tired tropes. Warner Bros.’s original thrillerThe Exorcistbecame a standard by which the horror genre films that followed tried to adhere.
The issue facing the Hollywood entertainment industrial complex is that of rights. Typically, intellectual property has to be refreshed from time to time to maintain subsidiary and primary rights. This is why fans see a newRobin HoodorKing Arthurevery 10 years or typically a newTarzan,Godzilla, orKing Kongremake every 20 years.
With this strict financial motivation in mind, it’s easy to see skepticism emerging from the more vocal fans of the present versus older fans ofExorcistfrom 1973. And perhaps rightly so. Variousiterations ofThe Exorcisthave emerged over the years, most garnering little viewership and some being flat-out pulled from their platform. Fox tried a version, butThe Exorcisttelevision series was terminated due to low ratings, despite critical praise and a devoted enthusiast fan base. Season 2 had even lower ratings than the initial season, leading to its ultimate cancelation.
WhenExorcist IIwas released, critics and viewers universally hated the film. Compared with the horrendous, unsettling visuals and content from the original,Exorcist IIwas a complete departureand watered-down by contrast.Exorcist II’s obsession with symbolic elements and a bizarrely optimistic, happy, upbeat tone completely weakened the effect. Given the ultimate failures ofExorcistspin-offs, this indicates that ifThe Exorcist: Believerisn’t properly executed (and indeed beloved by terror fanatics worldwide), it will likely mean the doom of the franchise.
The Exorcist Believer: Every Reference of the Original Horror Movie in the Trailer
The trailer to The Exorcist: Believer is crammed with references to and plot parallels with the 1973 film and its original, rejected trailer.
The Exorcist: Believer Could Divide Audiences
So, is there any reason for horror fans to be thrilled aboutTheExorcist: Believer? If one bases their supposition strictly upon the bland trailers and advertising campaign, then no. Yet, there always remains the possibility that the tentative reboot could present a fresh perspective on the story’s core concept. But whatever anticipations enthusiasts indulge in as of now should be taken with a grain of salt.
True fans of the hard-core horror of the ’70s will undoubtedly give this flick a glance at least, and the concept definitely deserves a second chance. Can a newcomer upset an original? Much likeTerminator 2was a better film than its predecessor, it’s rare – but possible.The Exorcist: Believerstars Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett, and Olivia Marcum. Written by Peter Sattler and directed by David Gordon Green, prepare yourself this Halloween for evil’s arrival on October 6.
