The Exorcist is back but before you roll your eyes at the constant regurgitation of the same stories and perspectives in Hollywood, consider that even Ellen Burstyn is coming back on to see how things pan out this go around.
Father Merren is contemplating the $400 million+ Universal & Peacock paid for this new trilogy.
Universal Studios and Peacock (Universal’s streaming service) have purchased the rights to a new Exorcist trilogy. So, unless you’re paying for Peacock, you’re likely not going to get a chance to see this trilogy when it comes out, at least not right away. Regardless, it sounds like this might be a good thing for the story lines within The Exorcist franchise. Hopefully, breathing life into old stories produces something wonderful.
The trilogy will serve as a direct sequel to William Friedkin’s original “The Exorcist,” which Green has already confirmed in interviews. Per The [New York] Times, Burstyn will return as Chris MacNeil and Leslie Odom Jr. is set to play “the father of a possessed child” who “tracks down” Burstyn’s character for help. The Times adds: “The first film in the trilogy is expected to arrive in theaters in late 2023. Under the terms of the deal, the second and third films could debut on Peacock, according to one of the people briefed on the matter.”
Halloween is right around the corner so I felt justified in adding this extra image. Can you hear her giggling, because I can. Enjoy.
Green confirmed to Total Film magazine earlier this month that he completed the script to the first “Exorcist” movie during the pandemic. Green’s 2018 “Halloween” also served as a direct sequel to the original movie and side-stepped more divisive sequels. But unlike that approach, the new “Exorcist” trilogy will continue the story told in the original Friedkin movie’s sequels.