Like all streaming services, Paramount+ adds new content each month, and the company is about to begin streaming one of the world’s most famous horror movies. The Exorcist, an iconic horror film originally released in the ’70s, will be available to watch on Paramount+ starting on Jan. 8. Those interested in trying out a free trial of Paramount+ can do so by clicking here.
The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty, as based on a 1971 novel of the same name that was also written by Blatty. It tells the story of a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair) who becomes possessed by a demon that 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.
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The Exorcist 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.
In 2023, the franchise returned with The Exorcist: Believer, the first of a planned new trilogy of Exorcist films. A synopsis of the film reads: “Since his wife’s death, Victor (Leslie Odom Jr.) has raised his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) alone. After Angela and her friend (Olivia O’Neill) return from a three-day disappearance with missing memories, they begin displaying frightening behavior. Victor’s best hope is to find the only person who has seen anything like this before: Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), whose haunting experience with her daughter Regan may be the key to combating ultimate evil.”
The Exorcist: Believer is directed by David Gordon Green, who also helmed the Halloween reboot trilogy for Universal. The story for the new Exorcist movie was developed by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Green, who also penned the script with Peter Sattler. The first sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver, is currently set to open in theaters in April 2025.
