'The Exorcist' to be revived as a trilogy; Ellen Burstyn to reprise role from the original

Universal Studios is teaming up with Peacock for the revival of the horror film, The Exorcist according to a recent report by THR. The upcoming revival will serve as a direct sequel to the sensational 1973 horror. In addition, fans of the film will be happy to know that the sequel is just the beginning, for the production house has plans to make an entire trilogy. 

'The Exorcist' revival release date, cast and more

The forthcoming revival of The Exorcist will star Leslie Odom Jr. with Ellen Burstyn reprising her role as Chris MacNeil from the original. The report also claims that David Gordon Green will be directing the first of the three planned films. The first film in the trilogy will reportedly release theatrically on Oct 13, 2023. 

The Exorcist's sequel will be written by Peter Sattler and director Green. Jason Blum, David Robinson, James Robinson, Green, Danny McBride and Couper Samuelson will executive produce. Furthermore, Universal and Peacock acquired the worldwide rights to create new IP based on The Exorcist franchise in partnership with Blumhouse and Morgan Creek.

David Robinson, President of Morgan Creek, in a recent statement said: 

There’s no better time to be joining forces with the team at Peacock, reuniting with the great team at Universal and finally getting to work with my friends at Blumhouse, than on this classic franchise.

According to THR, the streaming platform Peacock landing this particular franchise's revival could help the company catch up to streaming leaders like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. The extremely popular and critically acclaimed horror film's revival will bring in much more traffic and might even help increase subscriber growth. 

About 'The Exorcist'

The original Exorcist film quickly became a sensation in 1973 upon its release. According to reports, the film has grossed over $441 million in total. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. 

Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller and Linda Blair also received Academy Award nominations. The original film revolved around a 12-year-old girl possessed by a mysterious entity. The girl's mother along with two Catholic priests go to great lengths to save her from it. The Exorcist was adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name. 

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