The Exorcist (franchise)

The Exorcist
Official franchise logo
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures (1-2, 4-5) 20th Century Fox (3, TV series) Universal Pictures (6-9)
Release date	1973-present
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$147 million (total of 6 films)
Box office	$661 million (total of 6 films)

The Exorcist is an American horror film series consisting of six films based on the 1971 novel The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. The films have been distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and 20th Century Fox.

The films have grossed over $661 million at the worldwide box office. Critics have given the films mixed reviews. In 2004, a prequel (Exorcist: The Beginning) was released. This was the second version of the film, as the first version (directed by Paul Schrader) was deemed unsatisfactory by the studio upon completion, and the entire project was refilmed by director Renny Harlin. However, Schrader's version received a limited release in 2005, after Harlin's, and was titled Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist. 20th Century Fox Television developed a television series continuation of The Exorcist.^[1] It premiered on September 23, 2016. As of 2020, a reboot of the film series which was later changed to a direct sequel to the 1973 film is in development with David Gordon Green as director.

Film[]

William Peter Blatty's Faith Trilogy[]

The Exorcist (1973)[]

Based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist marries three scenarios into one plot.

The film opens with Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) on an archaeological dig in Al-hadar, near Nineveh, in Iraq. He is alerted that a small carving is found in the dig, resembling a grimacing, bestial creature. After talking to one of his supervisors, he travels to a statue of Pazuzu; the small carving resembles the head of the statue. He sees ominous figures and two dogs fight viciously nearby, setting the tone for the rest of the film.

The Ninth Configuration (1980)[]

A post-Vietnam War drama set in a mental institution, released in 1980 and based on Blatty's novel of the same name. Though it contrasts sharply with the tone of The Exorcist, Blatty regards The Ninth Configuration as its true sequel, with Scott Wilson portraying Captain Billy Cutshaw, previously portrayed by Dick Callinan in The Exorcist.^[2] The film explores the insane asylum with a tone and style of comedy before evolving into a darker tone which details human suffering and the role of faith. The movie questions the differences between reality and perception, sane and insane. The Ninth Configuration received the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and two other nominations at the 38th Golden Globe Awards.

The Exorcist III (1990)[]

Adapted and directed by Blatty from his 1983 novel Legion, the film stars George C. Scott and several cast members (Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, Scott Wilson and George DiCenzo) from Blatty's previous film The Ninth Configuration. The story takes place 15 years after the events of The Exorcist and centers on the philosophical police detective William F. Kinderman (Scott) from the first film. He investigates a series of brutal murders in Georgetown that resemble the modus operandi of a serial killer executed about the time of the MacNeil exorcism.

Originally titled Legion, the film was drastically changed after rewrites and re-shoots ordered by the studio Morgan Creek Productions.^[3] Studio executives demanded the addition of an exorcism sequence and retitled the film as The Exorcist III in order to more strongly tie the film to the rest of the franchise. All of the deleted footage is apparently lost.^[4][5]

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)[]

Father Philip Lamont (Richard Burton), who is struggling with his faith, is assigned by the Cardinal (Paul Henreid) to investigate the death of Father Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). Merrin was killed in the first film during the exorcism of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair). The Cardinal informs Lamont (who has had some experience at exorcism, and has been exposed to Merrin's teachings) that Merrin is being investigated posthumously for heresy. Despite approval for the MacNeil exorcism by a bishop, the Church is no longer convinced that MacNeil was truly possessed, and the controversial nature of Merrin's books on the subject are being reconsidered as politically and theologically suspect.

Prequel series[]

Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)[]

The plot revolves around the crisis of faith suffered by Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgård) following the horrific events he witnessed during World War II.

After WWII, Merrin is an archaeologist in Cairo, when he is approached by a collector of antiquities who asks him to come to a British excavation in the Turkana region of Kenya. This dig is excavating a Christian Byzantine church from the 5th century—long before Christianity had reached that region. Further, the church is in perfect condition, as though it had been buried immediately after the construction was completed. Merrin is asked to participate in the dig and find an ancient relic hidden in the ruins before the British do. Merrin takes the job but soon discovers that all is not well—something evil lies in the church and is infecting the region. The local tribesman hired to dig refuse to enter the building, and there are stories of an epidemic that wiped out an entire village. However, when Merrin, growing suspicious of these rumors, digs up one of the graves of the supposed victims of this plague, he discovers it is empty. Meanwhile, the evil grows, turning people against each other and resulting in violence, atrocities, and more bloodshed.

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)[]

Many years before the events in The Exorcist, the young Father Lankester Merrin (played by Skarsgård, who played the same part in the Exorcist: The Beginning) travels to East Africa. Merrin has taken a sabbatical from the Church and devoted himself to history and archaeology as he struggles with his shattered faith. He is haunted especially by an incident in a small village in occupied Holland during World War II, where he served as the parish priest. Near the end of the war, a sadistic Nazi SS commander, in retaliation for the murder of a German trooper, forces Merrin to participate in arbitrary executions in order to save a full village from slaughter.

He meets up with a team of archaeologists, who are seeking to unearth a church that they believe has been buried for centuries. At first, Merrin resists the idea that supernatural forces are in play but eventually helps them, and the ensuing events result in an encounter with Pazuzu, the same demon referenced in The Exorcist.

David Gordon Green's Exorcist trilogy[]

In August 2020, it was revealed that Morgan Creek Entertainment is developing a theatrical reboot of The Exorcist, scheduled to be released in 2021.^[6] Later in December, Blumhouse Productions and Morgan Creek announced that the reboot was changed to a "direct" sequel of the original film which will be directed by David Gordon Green, the director of Halloween. Jason Blum and the Robinson brothers will produce.^[7][8][9] Though the film serves as a direct follow-up to the original, Green confirmed that each of franchise installments are still canon to his new movie.^[10]

In July 2021, it was revealed that a trilogy of sequels are in development with David Gordon Green attached as director on each film. Blum will serve as producer, alongside James Robinson and David Robinson. Ellen Burstyn will reprise her role from the original film, with Leslie Odom Jr. co-starring. The projects will be joint-venture productions between Blumhouse Productions and Morgan Creek Entertainment with Universal Pictures serving as distributing company. Universal collaborated with Peacock to purchase distribution rights for $400 million total. Parts two and three of the trilogy, are being optioned as Peacock exclusive films.^[11] On July 26, Linda Blair took to Twitter saying she has not been contacted as of yet to reprise her role of Regan MacNeil: "As of now, there has not been any discussions about me participating or reprising my role. I wish all those involved the best and I appreciate the loyalty and passion the fans have for The Exorcist and my character."^[12]

Television[]

A continuation series that directly follows the original film was developed from Fox Broadcasting Company. Jeremy Slater served as the writer/producer with James Robinson, David Robinson and Barbara Wall on as executive producers. The premise was described as "a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession, and confronting the face of true evil."^[13]

The series ran for two seasons, and was canceled by Fox in May 2018.^[14]

Cast and characters[]

List indicator(s)

• This table only shows characters that have appeared in three or more films in the series.
• A dark grey cell indicates that the character was not in the film or that the character's presence in the film has yet to be announced.
• An ^A indicates an appearance through archival footage or stills.
• A ^C indicates a cameo role.
• An ^M indicates the actor was part of the main cast for the season.
• An ^R indicates the actor was part of the recurring cast for the season.
• An ^G indicates the actor was part of the guest cast for the season.
• A ^U indicates an uncredited role.
• A ^Y indicates the actor portrayed the role of a younger version of the character.
• A ^V indicates the actor or actress lent only his or her voice for his or her film character.

Cut scenes[]

The "spider-walk scene"[]

Contortionist Linda R. Hager was hired to perform the infamous "spider-walk scene" that was filmed on April 11, 1973. Friedkin deleted the scene just prior to the original December 26, 1973 release date because he felt it was ineffective technically. However, with advanced developments in digital media technology, Friedkin worked with CGI artists to make the scene look more convincing for the 2000 theatrically re-released version of The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen. Since the original release, myths and rumors still exist that a variety of spider-walk scenes were filmed^{[15][better source needed]} despite Friedkin's insistence that no alternate version was ever shot.^[16]

In 1998, Warner Brothers re-released the digitally remastered DVD of The Exorcist: 25th Anniversary Special Edition. This DVD includes the special feature BBC documentary, The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist,^[17] highlighting the never-before-seen original non-bloody version of the spider-walk scene. The updated "bloody version" of the spider-walk scene appears in the 2000 re-release of The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen utilizing CGI technology to incorporate the special effect of blood pouring from Regan's mouth during this scene's finale.

The Exorcist III[]

Despite his misgivings about the studio-imposed reshoots, Blatty is proud of the finished version of The Exorcist III, having said: "It's still a superior film. And in my opinion, and excuse me if I utter heresy here, but for me, it's a more frightening film than The Exorcist."^[18] Nevertheless, Blatty had hoped to recover the deleted footage from the Morgan Creek vaults so that he might re-assemble the original cut of the film which he said was "rather different" from what was released, and a version of the film fans of the Exorcist series had been requesting.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, Blatty's wife reported on a fan site that "My husband tells me that it is Morgan Creek's claim that they have lost all the footage, including an alternate opening scene in which Kinderman views the body of Karras in the morgue, right after his fall down the steps." Mark Kermode has stated that the search for the missing footage is "ongoing".^[19]

The book titled The Evolution Of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III: From Concept To Novel To Screen by author Erik Kristopher Myers reveals the whole story behind the film's development, and has never-before-seen images, the original script, studio notes, various drafts of the story as it has evolved, and interviews with Blatty, Dourif, Kermode, Carpenter and many others associated with the film.^[4] Myers in an interview said that The Exorcist III "has sort of turned into horror genre's equivalent to Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, in that it was originally a very classy film that the studio hacked apart and turned into a commercial piece […] I'm basically trying to chronicle how a film can get away from the auteur and be transformed into a purely commercial product."^[20]

Additional crew and production details[]

Reception[]

Box office and financial performance[]

Critical and public response[]

Accolades[]

Academy Awards[]

The Exorcist was nominated for a total of ten Academy Awards in 1973. At the 46th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, the film won two statuettes.^[42]

• Academy Award for Sound
• Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay – William Peter Blatty

The film was nominated for:

• Academy Award for Best Picture
• Academy Award for Best Actress – Ellen Burstyn
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – Jason Miller
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress – Linda Blair
• Academy Award for Best Director – William Friedkin
• Academy Award for Best Cinematography
• Academy Award for Film Editing
• Academy Award for Best Art Direction – Bill Malley and Jerry Wunderlich

Golden Globe[]

The Exorcist was nominated for a total of seven Golden Globes in 1973. At the Golden Globes ceremony that year, the film won four awards.

• Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
• Golden Globe Award for Best Director – William Friedkin
• Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture – Linda Blair
• Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay – William Peter Blatty

The film was nominated for

• Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama – Ellen Burstyn
• Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture – Max von Sydow
• Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress – Linda Blair

Others[]

American Film Institute recognition

• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills – #3
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains
  • Regan MacNeil – Villain #9

In 1991, The Exorcist III won a Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA, for Best Writing (William Peter Blatty) and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Brad Dourif) and Best Horror Film. However it was also nominated for Worst Actor (George C. Scott) at the Golden Raspberry Awards.^[43] In 2005, Exorcist: The Beginning was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards, Worst Director (Renny Harlin) and Worst Remake or Sequel.

Home media release[]

A limited-edition box set was released in 1998. It was limited to 50,000 copies, with available copies circulating around the Internet. There are two versions; a special edition VHS and a special edition DVD. The only difference between the two copies is the recording format.

On the DVD[]

• The original film with restored film and digitally remastered audio, with a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio.
• An introduction by director William Friedkin
• The 1998 BBC documentary The Fear of God: The Making of "The Exorcist"
• 2 audio commentaries
• Interviews with the director and writer
• Theatrical trailers and TV spots

In the box[]

• A commemorative 52-page tribute book, covering highlights of the film's preparation, production, and release; features previously-unreleased historical data and archival photographs
• Limited edition soundtrack CD of the film's score, including the original (unused) soundtrack (Tubular Bells and Night of the Electric Insects omitted)
• 8 lobby card reprints.
• Exclusive senitype film frame (magnification included)

Blu-ray[]

In an interview with DVD Review, William Friedkin mentioned that he is scheduled to begin work on a The Exorcist Blu-ray on December 2, 2008. This edition features a new restoration, including both the 1973 theatrical version and the "version you've never seen" from 2000. It was released on October 5, 2010.^[44]

On September 23, 2014, in preparation for the first film's 41st anniversary, the complete collection of the series was released as The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology containing all five films restored on Blu-ray. The rest of the installments of the franchise were also given an individual release for the first time on Blu-ray with the exception of Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist which can only be obtained on Blu-ray by purchasing the collection.

References[]

External links[]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Exorcist

• Official site
• The Exorcist at AllMovie
• The Exorcist at Box Office Mojo
• The Haunted Boy of Cottage City: The Cold Hard Facts Behind the Story that Inspired The Exorcist, by Mark Opsasnick
• Jason Miller Remembers The Exorcist