David Gordon Greenhas exercised his option to leave the director’s chair ofThe Exorcist: Deceiver, the sequel tolast year’sThe Exorcist: Believer. The film has been taken off Universal’s release calendar for now; it was originally slated for release on August 19, 2025, but will be delayed as the studio searches for a new helmer. Meanwhile, that date has now been handed off toMichael, the upcomingAntoine Fuqua-directedMichael Jacksonbiopic, which will star Jackson’s nephewJafaar Jacksonas the late singer.THRhas the news that Green will instead focus on the production ofhis upcoming holiday filmNutcrackers, which will beBen Stiller’s return to the big screen after a lengthy hiatus, and the upcoming fourth season of his acclaimed HBOmega-church comedy-dramaThe Righteous Gemstones.
When Green came on to helm the plannedExorcisttrilogy, the pairing of director with franchise seemed like a slam dunk for Universal. Green had just finished histrilogy of BlumhouseHalloweenmovies, which revived that once-moribund slasher franchise by ignoring its bevy of sequels, remakes, and reboots, instead acting as a direct sequel to the 1978 film, with starJamie Lee Curtisin tow.
Universal surely hoped it would do the same forThe Exorcist, which had remained in the bowels of franchise hell since the disastrous release oftwo duelingExorcistprequels in 2004 and 2005; they paid a reported $400 million to acquire full rights to the franchise. However, returns forThe Exorcist: Believerwere disappointing; while the film made $137 million on a $30 million budget (which was softer than expected), and the critical reviews may have made executives' heads spin; the film rated a22% “Rotten” ratingon Rotten Tomatoes.In his review, Collider’sChase Hutchinsonfound that the movie “isn’t particularly scary, as nothing visually holds the same mesmerizing power as Friedkin’s work, and the whole thing seems increasingly scattered.”
What Happened in ‘The Exorcist: Believer’?
Set in the modern day, decades after the events depicted inWilliam Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic,The Exorcist: BelieverstarsLeslie Odom Jr.as Victor Fielding, a single father who lost his faith after his pregnant wife was killed in an earthquake. Now living in rural Georgia, his daughter Angela and her friend Katherine disappear for three days; when they are finally found, they both exhibit signs of demonic possession. Coming to their aid isChris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), whose own daughter, Regan, had undergone a similar trial in the first film. A harrowing exorcism from Victor’s neighbor, ex-nun Ann (Ann Dowd) ensues. The film also featuresa brief cameo fromLinda Blair, reprising her role as Regan from the original film and itsmuch-maligned sequel,Exorcist II: The Heretic.
Formerly planned to be released on June 11, 2025,The Exorcist: Deceiverwill be delayed as Universal seeks a new director to replace David Gordon Green. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
The Exorcist: Believer
When two girls disappear into the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, the father of one girl seeks out Chris MacNeil, who’s been forever altered by what happened to her daughter fifty years ago.
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