It was earlier reported that ‘Halloween’ director David Gordon Green had taken the plunge to revive the granddaddy of all horror movies – the 1973 Academy Award-winning film ‘The Exorcist’. And now, as per a recent report (via The New York Times), Universal Pictures and OTT service Peacock have shelled out a whopping $400 million to buy the new trilogy of premium horror franchise ‘The Exorcist’.
The massive $400 million deal reminds us of the recent announcement regarding streaming giant Netflix buying two ‘Knives Out’ sequels for north of $400 million.
Another exciting development for the new Exorcist trilogy is that Ellen Burstyn, the actress who featured as the distressed actress-mother of a possessed child (played by Linda Blair) in the first 1973 film ‘The Exorcist’ is set to reprise her role from the parent film.
Besides Ellen Burstyn, ‘Hamilton’ actor Leslie Odom Jr. will ostensibly play the role of a father of a possessed child, who tracks down Ellen Burstyn’s character for help. While the first Exorcist film of the trilogy is expected for theatrical release on October 13, 2023, the remaining two might directly stream on OTT platform Peacock.
For those who are not aware, the original film ‘The Exorcist’ was based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name and helmed by William Friedkin. The film revolved around the demonic possession and subsequent exorcism of the 12-year-old child of a famous actress. It became the first horror film to be nominated for not one but ten Academy Awards, eventually winning two for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound categories.
Although the film is still regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, however, its sequels and prequels were unable to surpass the legacy created by the parent film. So, it would be interesting to see whether Universal’s new Exorcist trilogy will prove to be a worthy tribute to the legendary film – ‘The Exorcist’.
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