Producer Jason Blum has confirmed that another Exorcist movie is in the works, following the recent setbacks faced by the franchise. The Exorcist: Deceiver, the sequel to The Exorcist: Believer, was initially scheduled for release in April 2025 but has been put on hold after director David Gordon Green's departure.
Blum expressed his intention to take more time to carefully consider the direction of the upcoming film. He emphasized that while the project is in the pipeline, the specifics of the movie are yet to be determined.
The Exorcist franchise was revitalized when Universal Pictures acquired the rights from Morgan Creek for a substantial $400 million. The plan was to create a trilogy of movies, with the first installment, The Exorcist: Believer, directed by Green.
However, The Exorcist: Believer failed to replicate the success of Green's previous work on the Halloween franchise. The film received a lukewarm reception, with a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 22% and a global box office gross of $136.3 million, significantly lower than the $260 million earned by 2018's Halloween.
Following Green's exit from The Exorcist: Deceiver due to scheduling conflicts, the sequel was removed from the release calendar to allow for the appointment of a new director and a reassessment of the project's direction.
The Exorcist: Believer follows the story of a photographer, Victor Fielding, played by Leslie Odom Jr., as he grapples with demonic possession affecting his daughter and her friend. The film also features Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Ann Dowd, and includes appearances by Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair reprising their roles from the original Exorcist film.
While fans eagerly await the next chapter in The Exorcist saga, the future of the franchise remains uncertain as the production team navigates the challenges of reshaping the sequel to meet audience expectations and industry standards.
The Exorcist: Believer is currently available for streaming on Peacock for those interested in revisiting the latest installment of the iconic horror series.
