The Exorcist: Believer director teases “infinite possibilities” with sequel

❘ Published: 2023-10-06T12:39:34

Universal Pictures

The Exorcist: Believer has arrived in cinemas, but what about the planned sequel, Deceiver? Director David Gordon Green has teased where the trilogy could go next.

The late William Friedkin’s 1973 Exorcist will forever go down in history as one of the, if not the scariest movie ever made. Its lasting influence on the horror genre is clear, and no sequel has ever matched up to its legacy.

However, Green is attempting to revive the franchise with a planned trilogy, starting with The Exorcist: Believer. As we said in our review: “Arguably no horror movie will ever match up to the OG, but at the very least, Believer gracefully carves a new spin on the franchise – although it’s best to leave expectations at the door.”

Dexerto caught up with the filmmaker ahead of its release to find out more about his sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver. Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Exorcist: Believer!

Exorcist: Believer director teases what to expect with sequel

While Green is “fully focused” on Believer right now, he told us: “But there are so many religions and perspectives of possession that I uncovered in the research of this movie that there are just infinite paths you could take.

“We’ve got a roadmap of what we’d like to do for two more movies. We’re just waiting to see if the audiences, the studios, the world around us will respond to this film in the way that we hope and then we’ll take it from there.”

Elaborating on the research he conducted, Green said: “I just reached out to everyone that I could come in contact with who had been in the room for these types of experiences – these ceremonies and these rituals for a variety of different customs and beliefs – and talked to them.

“I read every book and journal that had been published that I could get my hands on about how to make this feel grounded so that it didn’t feel like a supernatural movie. I wanted to make something that felt like something you could touch.”

Green also opened up about collaborating with original The Exorcist star Linda Blair, who served on Believer as a technical advisor for the young cast and appears in the very final scene to reunite with her on-screen mom, Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).

Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist

“She was apprehensive as anybody – as I was, as Ellen Burstyn was. Everybody was looking to know more before they signed on to anything because you can f*ck it up,” he explained.

“My relationship with Linda began by just reaching out and saying, ‘I want to know you. I’m going to make an Exorcist movie, and I’d like you to be aware of that, and I’d like you to help me navigate the wellbeing of our young actresses, because I know you have opinions.’

“I didn’t even set out to make her a role in the film or anything like that. I just introduced myself and then we became friends. And then there was a point where she became a consultant for the kids and things evolved from there.

“It was an amazing experience introducing her to the young actresses, and getting the thoughts that she had and her talking to the parents about how to prepare for a role like this. It was really inspiring.”

The Exorcist: Believer is in cinemas now, and you can check out more of our coverage below: