'Halloween' Filmmaker David Gordon Green in Talks to Direct a Sequel to 'The Exorcist'

Halloween filmmaker David Gordon Green is reportedly in talks to direct a sequel to the 1973 [...]

By Stephen Andrew

Halloween filmmaker David Gordon Green is reportedly in talks to direct a sequel to the 1973 horror classic, The Exorcist. According to Variety, the film will be a co-production from Morgan Creek Entertainment and Blumhouse Productions. The news of an Exorcist sequel was first announced in August, but as of yet no story details or casting have been revealed.

The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin, and written by William Peter Blatty, as based on a 1971 novel that he'd written of the same name. It tells the story of a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair) who becomes possessed by a demon, who claims to be the devil but goes by Pazuzu. Two Roman Catholic priests, Father Damien Karras, S.J. (Jason Miller) and Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow) come to perform an exorcism, but the demon puts up a relentless fight, wearing the two men down and making this already difficult challenge seemingly impossible. In addition to Blair, Miller, and Von Sydow, the film also stars Ellen Burstyn, Lee J. Cobb, Jack MacGowran and real-life priest Father Thomas Bermingham.

The Exorcist has had quite the reputation since its release, as its production was plagued with controversial circumstances. There are at least nine deaths connected to the film, include that of MacGowran. However, while The Exorcist has been labeled a "cursed" movie, it is still critically acclaimed and widely revered.

It was nominated in 10 categories at the 46th Academy Awards, taking home two Oscars: Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Sound. It also won four Golden Globes that same year: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Blair, Best Director – Motion Picture for Freidkin and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture for Blatty. It also went on to spawn four more films as well as a TV series.

Green is no doubt the choice for taking on the feat of creating a new Exorcist sequel due to his work on rebooting the Halloween franchise. The 2018 film Halloween was a direct sequel to the original 1978 movie and ignored everything from the franchise that has come since. The movie earned over $250 million at the box office on a budget of less than $15 million.

Green directed the film and co-wrote it with Jeff Fradley and actor Danny McBride, with whom Green is a frequent collaborator. Green and McBride then brought in filmmaker Scott Teems (Narcos: Mexico) to write the next two installments in the new trilogy: Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends. The two movies will be released in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

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