Posted in: Blumhouse, Horror, Movies | Tagged: film, horror, The Exorcist, The Exorcist: Believer, Universal Pictures

The Director of The Exorcist: Believer on the Return of Chris MacNeil

The director of The Exorcist: Believer is sharing his thoughts on the return of fan-favorite character Chris MacNeil for the horror sequel.

For decades, The Exorcist has been dubbed as one of the scariest horror films of all time, basically terrifying generations with its timelessly devilish ways. Now, the franchise is getting eerily close to its revival from Blumhouse and Universal Pictures, with a story that involves two possessions and the return of a beloved character from the first installment. So what can we anticipate for Ellen Burstyn?

The Exorcist Revival is Aiming to Utilize the Past to Create a Terrifying Present

While speaking to IGN about the upcoming film The Exorcist: Believer, director David Gordon Green was asked about the ambitious sequel, telling the publication, "What I was really moved by was the mother-daughter story and bringing that up to speed, up-to-date, and bringing Chris MacNeil back after so many years." He adds, "I had an idea I was really passionate about for her character 50 years later to collaborate on. How could you not take advantage of that moment and use that as an opportunity to learn and grow with her?"

Elsewhere in the interview, the director admits they wanted to go bigger for the next chapter, explaining, "I'm not excited about the cliches of exorcism movies — I'm more interested in the questions filmmakers ask, and how they go about telling those stories." He notes, "I didn't want this to be a movie I was fabricating a lot of mythology for. [We aimed for] less popcorn entertainment and more researched, emotionally triggering storytelling."

The film's official premise reads: "Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding (Tony winner and Oscar® nominee Leslie Odom, Jr.; One Night in Miami, Hamilton) has raised their daughter, Angela (Lidya Jewett, Good Girls) on his own. But when Angela and her friend Katherine (newcomer Olivia Marcum) disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before; Chris MacNeil."

The Exorcist: Believer will arrive in theaters on October 13, 2023, with two other sequels already planned for Peacock. Are you excited to see where Blumhouse takes The Exorcist franchise?

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