EXORCIST: BELIEVER - October - Trailer

[AndyDursin]

Good luck!

[It’s] going to be like David’s Halloween sequel,” Blum tells the site. “I think it’s going to pleasantly surprise all the skeptics out there. We had a lot of skeptics about Halloween and David turned them around, and I think he’s going to turn it around with The Exorcist.”

I want to make a movie that works for both [audiences],” says Blum. “I want to make a movie for people that know and love the first Exorcist and are furious that we’re doing this, but somehow drag themselves to the theater. I want them to come out happy. And I want to make a movie that people who’ve never heard of The Exorcist really enjoy. I think David did that with Halloween. I think he’ll do that with The Exorcist also.”

[AndyDursin]

Lot of dough...3 movies. Ellen Burstyn. And Linda Blair kept under wraps I hope!

Universal Pictures and NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock, in partnership with Blumhouse and Morgan Creek, have closed a reported $400 million-plus deal to purchase worldwide rights for a new Exorcist franchise that will see Ellen Burstyn reprise her role as the mother of a demon-possessed child.

To be directed by David Gordon Green (Halloween), the franchise will star Hamilton‘s Leslie Odom Jr. as the father of a possessed child who seeks out the aid of Burstyn’s Exorcist character Chris MacNeil, mother of the possessed Regan MacNeil (played in the original 1973 film by Linda Blair).

According to Universal, the franchise will encompass three films in total and is described as a “continuation,” rather than a remake, of the 1973 original, which was directed by William Friedkin and adapted by William Peter Blatty based on his novel.

The first film in the new trilogy will be released theatrically on October 13, 2023. Subsequent installments could premiere on Peacock, according to a report in the New York Times, which also set the deal amount at more than $400 million. That is reminiscent of Netflix’s Knives Out two-sequel deal in March also struck for north of $400M, making it one of the biggest streamer movie pacts in history.

Jason Blum will produce the new Exorcist pics on behalf of Blumhouse. David Robinson and James Robinson will produce for Morgan Creek. David Gordon Green, Danny McBride and Couper Samuelson will executive produce. Ryan Turek is overseeing the project for Blumhouse.

“There’s no better time to be joining forces with the team at Peacock, reuniting with the great team at Universal and finally getting to work with my friends at Blumhouse, than on this classic franchise,” Morgan Creek president David Robinson said in a statement Monday. “David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, Scott Teems and Peter Sattler have put together a compelling continuation of this iconic tale and I can’t wait to bring this to fans around the world.”

“Blumhouse has always experienced incredible partnership from the team at Universal, and I’m grateful to Donna Langley and Jimmy Horowitz for believing in the vision of David’s film and having the foresight to be flexible with distribution, so the team feels top notch support through the lifeline of the film. They’re committed to theatrical exhibition and will also serving streaming viewers well by bringing an exciting franchise like The Exorcist to Peacock too,” Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum said. “I’m grateful to be working with David Robinson and the great team at Morgan Creek on this iconic franchise.”

https://deadline.com/2021/07/the-exorci ... 234800049/

[AndyDursin]

I....dunno about this.

Is there even an Exorcist IN this film? Or just Ellen Burstyn using "good vibes"?

Looks less like the original and more like the TV series or other ripoff.

[Eric W.]

Dear Lord why.

[AndyDursin]

Sequel, EXORCIST: DECEIVER, is now officially dated for April '25, which is unsurprising since they already shot Burstyn's scenes for it like a year ago. I guess they'll wait to see how they do before greenlighting the end of this "trilogy".

Maybe the movie will be OK -- it looks like a TV show in terms of visual style -- but really it's hard to tell from the trailer. They roll out the fan-service trailer callback to the original there but it doesn't look like they're embracing Catholicism and Blatty's message -- is there even an EXORCIST in this movie? Or is it just Burstyn who's "become an expert" and says "every religion" has its type of Exorcist...steering away from religion and onto a more agnostic messaging. Which of course dilutes the entire point of the exercise.

Guess we'll find out. I might go, if the reviews aren't embarrassingly bad.

[Monterey Jack]

Dear Lord why.

Because Halloween 2018 made $260 million, that's why. Now every 70s and 80s horror classic is gonna get strip-mined by Blumhouse.

It also seems like borderline elder abuse to have a NINETY-YEAR-OLD actress like Burstyn in this, just to add a modicum of "This is the REAL sequel to the classic original!" cred. As bad as an eighty-year-old Harrison Ford limping through a new Indiana Jones movie (and injuring himself in the process) all for a return of...what, $336 million worldwide?

[AndyDursin]

The Blumhouse model works because they hold the budgets down and tend to score profits with basically everything they make. Even when something completely fizzles, they don't spend much, though Universal and Morgan Creek gave them a higher budget here and already committed to sequels.

Funny some people assume Linda Blair is in the movie -- guessing maybe they'll save that for one of the sequel(s), because otherwise, seems like they basically give EVERYTHING away in this trailer. Probably a sign of desperation.

The real problem is Green, who did OK the first time with his HALLOWEEN movie but then it was all downhill after that -- and THE EXORCIST is a higher degree of difficulty to pull off than a standard dumb slasher movie. It can be done poorly, and usually is -- stripped of Blatty's religious introspection, this is probably going to be closer to THE LAST EXORCIST than THE EXORCIST itself.

[Monterey Jack]

The Blumhouse model works because they hold the budgets down

https://www.joblo.com/is-blumhouses-the ... oject-yet/

[mkaroly]

Looks like they're using "good vibes" to me Andy!

I don't see the appeal of bringing Burstyn back...senseless.

[AndyDursin]

The Blumhouse model works because they hold the budgets down

https://www.joblo.com/is-blumhouses-the ... oject-yet/

True, it's a different circumstance b/c they paid a ransom for rights which presumably they can profit off beyond the film. But remember they're also making 3 movies so it's an investment that could pay off. My larger point is the actual budget on the movie is probably very modest like virtually all of their movies. They're known for making very tidy, low budget fare.

[AndyDursin]

Review embargo lifts like the day before the movie starts. Think I'll be waiting for Peacock on this one.

[AndyDursin]

[AndyDursin]

Can they back out of the sequels? Omg what a disaster.

Even the "fan reactions" are like this guy:

[AndyDursin]

Sounds as bad as it looks!

[AndyDursin]

oooooo, there's a SURPRISE CAMEO at the end of this? I WONDER WHO IT COULD POSSIBLY BE.

Said it when Ellen Burstyn was announced...but whether or not they make more of these...I wonder if it will depend on how fast this tanks after this weekend and it loses all its screens for the Taylor Swift movie.