SlashFilm reports Universal wants to produce a new trilogy of movies based on William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic The Exorcist. Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton, One Night in Miami) will portray a lead character and Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) will reprise her performance from the first film that earned her an Academy Award nomination. Odom Jr. will depict the father of a possessed child who, while searching for help, tracks down Burstyn’s character. And if this premise doesn’t make sense to you – Is Burstyn’s character an exorcist now? – wait till you hear about the trilogy’s budget. Reportedly, the studio wants to spend around $400 million for these three films. Thus, Hollywood continues its trend of throwing money at pre-established brands instead of producing anything remotely creative.
Universal wants David Gordon Green (Our Brand Is Crisis, Pineapple Express) as director – at least for the first film. This is understandable since Green, along with his frequent collaborator Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones, Vice Principals) successfully helmed the most recent revival of John Carpenter’s Halloween movies. Blumhouse’s Jason Blum is among producers as well. Green will also co-write the script alongside Peter Sattler (Broken Diamonds, Camp X-Ray), based on a story by himself, McBride, and Scott Teems (Rectify).
The first of three new Exorcist films should come out in movie theaters on October 13, 2023. The sequels may premiere on NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock.
