How New Exorcist Movies Can Be Good | Pretty Reel

The overwhelming commercial success of reboots and remakes has trickled down to the horror genre. We’re seeing franchises like Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre being rebooted in a style that’s more like a hybrid sequel and a remake, something loosely referred to as “the legacy sequel.” Previously existing sequels in these franchises were erased from canon and replaced with a modern interpretation.

Director and producer David Gordon Green has found critical and commercial success doing just that while directing the new Halloween franchise. His next challenge, however, will be his most ambitious. He is set to direct sequels to the original 1973 masterpiece The Exorcist.

The classic film made a huge impact on horror and was groundbreaking for its time. While key details for the legacy sequels are still under wraps, the first is slated for release in 2023, which is 50 years after the original film’s debut. Although the announcement of the new movies has caused some head-spinning and some criticism, there are ways to make an effective sequel and reboot simultaneously.

Tell the original story of the exorcist

The 1973 film, directed by William Friedkin, was based on the famous book written by William Peter Blatty. The book was inspired by the story of 14-year-old Ronald Doe (later presumed to be Ronald Edwin Hunkeler). The events took place in 1949, when Ronald received a Ouija board from his aunt, who died shortly thereafter. The death was followed by strange and violent events that led Ronald’s family to believe he was possessed. An exorcism was performed on Ronald, and he lived an anonymous life until his death in 2020.

There are interesting elements in Ronald’s life that weren’t explored in the 1973 film, as it was based on the book which used aspects of Ronald’s life to tell Regan’s fictional story. Telling Ronald’s story would add something new to the franchise. However, some adjustments would need to be made in order to tell this story, as the timeline of these events should follow the original film. Additionally, the expected return of a much older Chris MacNeil, played by Ellen Burstyn, would also bring additional continuity to the sequel.

The return of Chris MacNeil

Warner Bros.

Ellen Burstyn, at 90, likely won’t have as physical a performance as the original film, where she was hospitalized and injured for stunts performed on her during the cursed production. However, his return to the sequel raises questions and speculation. While the sequel continues the story of Regan, whose return is unconfirmed at this point, her mother’s presence ties the original story together.

Would she be the shrewd character the new cast would turn to for help (as happened with previous legacy sequels like Scream 5 and the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre)? Or would her presence just be a small cameo instead of a starring role? Either way, how the filmmakers choose to use Burstyn will be one of the crucial elements to the film’s success. Burstyn provided a lot of passion and energy for the original film, and his character contributed to the fascinating debate throughout The Exorcist’s first and second acts between psychology and spirituality.

A continuous fight for faith in the exorcist

Warner Bros.

Chris MacNeil was not a strong believer in religion in The Exorcist. His faith was questionable until the third act, where there was really no doubt that his daughter Regan was possessed by a demon. His faith could be the subject of another debate in the sequel. The first film contained the struggle for superiority between science and spirituality, which was ultimately a struggle for truth. Was Regan psychologically or mentally ill, or was she truly possessed?

This question played out until the third act. Psychology and the mind itself could be the focus of the sequel which one would assume could explore the mental impact of exorcism. However, if this sequel trilogy by David Gordon Green is to succeed, it must undo the franchise’s existing sequels and stay true to the elements of the original film to be successful.

How the New Exorcist Could Succeed

Pictures from Warner Bros.

What The Exorcist II: The Heretic, The Exorcist III, Exorcist: The Beginning, and the Underrated Dominion all have in common is their deviation from what the original was going for. The first film in the franchise was more of a subtle, slow-burn drama with elements of terror mixed in, creating great emotion and tension between its shocking images. It took time to establish the relationship between the characters of Regan and Chris, as well as providing serious experience in the world and the struggle to keep the faith. All the characters were fleshed out human beings and not two-dimensional cartoons. The new film needs to maintain that tone and take the time for the audience to engage with the characters, because if we don’t care, then the goal of a rebooted sequel isn’t warranted.

Another reason for the success of the original film was the dedication to practical effects that still hold 50 years later. The sequels and canceled FOX series included overused CGIs, jump scares, and effects that took away any realism from what was happening. Growing technology, especially in computer-generated images, makes it easy to revert to CGI. However, in horror movies, he is rarely scary. This new horror sequel should stay true to how the original pulled it off, in that there were no scary leaps every ten minutes and there was no use of CGI. . If a movie made in 1973 can still hold the title of scariest movie of all time for many people, it means audiences are tuning in to realism.

Along with the practical effects and relatable characters, this movie won’t outshine the original. It’s not possible for a film as respected as The Exorcist to be beaten by sequels. Knowing this, it might be possible to provide something new and inventive in the modern era. It is possible to shock the public, because the imagination has no limits. Not seeing everything will be scarier than seeing all the blood and violence.

The original film had amazing sound design, jaw-dropping cinematography, and slow-paced tension, and still managed something special. The 2023 sequel is expected to follow the original formula, but offer audiences something they’ve never seen before and might add something to the original. Otherwise, it would all be for naught, because trying to top the original is a losing game. David Gordon Green seems to have a love for horror movies and franchises, which is a key and crucial part of telling a compelling story in the genre.

How New Exorcist Movies Can Be Good | Pretty Reel